Mobile Suit Gundam Xenosaga Season 1
by Takeshi Yamato
Summary: When a Gundam Meister helps Shion escape from the Woglinde, the power to change Destiny itself is unleashed. Shion/OC. MUCH more detailed and involved than what I can summarize here. :D  Rated M for Adult Content.
1. Prologue: The Story Begins

**Disclaimer:** **The **_**Mobile Suit Gundam**_** Franchise belongs to Bandai Entertainment. **_**Xenosaga Episode 1**_** belongs to Bandai Namco Games and Monolith Software. I only own my OC, Takeshi Yamato, and his personal machine.**

**Author's Note: This particular project is one that I've **_**always**_** wanted to do. It basically asks (and answers) the question, "What would happen if a Gundam Pilot were transported into the **_**Xenosaga**_** Universe?"**

**All the characters from the **_**Xenosaga**_** video games will appear (along with an OC from another **_**Xenosaga**_** Fanfic), but some of them will have different roles. For instance, Allen Ridgeley (who is one of the biggest wusses I've ever met) is only going to play a bit role in my story. All of you Allen fans don't need to worry about me killing him off—I won't do that. However, he is **_**NOT**_** going to play a major role in the story.**

**In fact, taking his place at Shion's side will be my own personal OC, Takeshi Yamato. That's right, folks, this is a Shion/OC Fic. And this OC has **_**quite**_** the backstory, which will be explored in detail as the story goes along.**

**For now, let's get things started with the Prologue! :D**

* * *

**PROLOGUE**

**THE STORY BEGINS**

* * *

The year is TC 4767.

Over 5,000 years have passed since mankind was forced to abandon its Homeworld.

With the advent of the Unus-Mundus Network (or U.M.N.), humanity was able to travel between the stars at faster-than-light speeds, and has now expanded to countless worlds.

However, mankind still wars with itself, and it now also has to deal with hostile aliens known as Gnosis.

Several days ago, the planet Ariadne vanished in a space-time distortion. The Galaxy Federation Government has sent the cruiser _Woglinde_ and the 117th Marine Division to investigate. With them is a team from Vector Industries, performing tests on KOS-MOS, an Android designed to be humanity's secret weapon against the Gnosis.

In that team is a man who first appeared in this world two years ago. A man with a powerful Humanoid Mobile Weapon. A man with the power to change Destiny itself.

His name is Takeshi Yamato. And his weapon is one of the most legendary weapons in existence.

The Mobile Weapon known as Gundam…

* * *

**Author's Note:** **Well, there it is. The start of the project that I've always wanted to do. I think I covered pretty much everything I needed to for a prologue. I should, hopefully, be able to get the first chapter up within a week or so.**

**Anyway, please read and review.**

**Later! :D**

**Takeshi Yamato  
Azure Knight of the Raging Tempest**

**Author's Note 2: This Story is getting a slight retcon, seeing as how I changed my account title to something with a more Japanese flavor—a change which also affects my primary OC.**


	2. Phase 01: Woglinde

**Disclaimer:** **The **_**Mobile Suit Gundam**_** Franchise belongs to Bandai Entertainment. **_**Xenosaga Episode 1**_** belongs to Bandai Namco Games and Monolith Software. I only own my OC, Takeshi Yamato, and his personal machine.**

**Author's Note:**** Here's the first chapter of **_**Mobile Suit Gundam Xenosaga**_**. I had thought about starting with the Startup Experiment in the Encephalon (which was essentially the first chapter of the game), but I never figured out how to insert Takeshi into the introductory scene, so I decided to skip it. Instead, the story will start with Shion being summoned to the Woglinde's Bridge. I'll do my first deviations from canon here, and I'll start the Shion/OC Pairing on its way.**

**OK, then, let's get started! :D**

**Author's Note 2:**** Special credit needs to go to my Beta Reader Aerith The Evenstar, who has been a big help with this story. :D**

* * *

**PHASE ****0****1**

**WOGLINDE**

* * *

Takeshi Yamato sat at his workstation in the KOS-MOS Lab on the cruiser _Woglinde_. Their latest startup experiment with KOS-MOS had been kind of hectic, and Chief Engineer Shion Uzuki had almost gotten herself killed. Again.

Right now, the team was busy compiling the data to prepare for when the _Woglinde's_ Captain asked for it. And he did ask for it about 3 minutes after the _Woglinde_ dropped out of Hyperspace.

"Sure," Shion said after receiving the summons. "I'll be there in 30 minutes."

"They sure didn't waste any time," Allen Ridgeley commented.

"Well, today _**is**_ our deadline, after all," Takeshi replied, standing up from his workstation and walking over to Shion. "Looks like you were right, Shion."

Takeshi was fairly handsome by most standards. He stood at about 5'11", and had dark brown hair styled in a buzz cut, amethyst eyes, an average build, and light skin. He currently wore the blue-trimmed version of the standard Vector Industries Male Uniform, and a pair of wraparound sunglasses rested atop his head.

"I usually am about these things, Takeshi," Shion said.

"Here's the data you requested," Takeshi said, handing Shion a disk.

"Thank you, Takeshi," Shion replied, placing the disk in her pocket. She would have put it on her workstation, but that would have meant the possibility of her just forgetting it and leaving it there. "This should be good enough. I'll take care of the rest." She then stood up, and walked over to KOS-MOS' storage chamber/maintenance bed.

Shion stood at 5'4", and possessed long, dark-brown hair, emerald eyes, a slim build, and light skin, all of which made her very beautiful. She was often called the Flower of First Division because of her beauty.

Another team member walked up to Shion and asked if it was ok to just keep giving the Military simulated data on KOS-MOS when they expected actual field data. Takeshi walked up behind the guy and said, "We can't give them actual field data if KOS-MOS isn't ready. These exercises help us make sure that she _**is**_ ready. And don't ask about taking her up to Phase 3 in the simulators. We're not about to wake our princess up for that."

"That's for sure," Allen replied, walking up to them and handing Shion another disk. "Here's a summary of KOS-MOS' main equipment from the Second Division," he continued. "This should help you with the guys upstairs."

"Thanks," Shion replied. "I'm sure it will." She then started towards the exit into the rest of the ship.

"I'll go with you part of the way, Shion," Takeshi said as he walked to her side. "I have a few things I need to take care of in our room." For some reason, the people who had arranged for the KOS-MOS Development Team's passage on the _Woglinde_ had arranged it so that Shion and Takeshi actually shared sleeping quarters.

"Of course, Takeshi," Shion replied. "We'll see the rest of you later!"

"Okay," Allen called, "Good luck!"

Shion and Takeshi then walked out of the lab, heading into the _Woglinde_.

* * *

"Way too slow!"

Shion and Takeshi had just entered a hangar that was along the most direct path from the KOS-MOS lab to the Bridge, and the leader of one of the work crews—a bald guy with a big purple X painted on his face—was currently in the process of punishing his men for something. "Give me another hundred million pushups!" he yelled. "Don't stop until your triceps snap like rubber bands! You heard me when I told you that thing was dangerous, didn't you? And yet, we still lost a man because you had to be so damn careless!"

As this was going on, Shion and Takeshi's attention was drawn to the main object in the hangar—a giant, golden plate in something of a cross shape surrounded by containment rings.

"Is this the Zohar?" Shion asked in an awed whisper. The Zohar was an ancient relic, and supposedly possessed great power.

"Yeah, it is," Takeshi replied, also in a whisper. "However, I think it's an Emulator." Zohar Emulators looked just like the original, but they were manufactured less than a hundred years ago, and didn't possess as much power as the original.

Suddenly, both Takeshi and Shion saw a girl standing directly in front of the Zohar. The girl had shoulder-length orange hair and blue eyes. "Who are you?" Shion asked the girl.

The girl didn't answer, and simply stood there. Shion slowly reached out, and was about to touch the girl, when Takeshi and Shion both heard a voice yell out, _**"STOP!"**_

They turned to see the work crew leader glaring at them with his arms crossed. He was especially glaring at Shion. "I don't care that you're Vector's Chief Engineer," he said to her, "this is off limits to you."

Shion hesitated, and the crew chief decided to yell at her some more. "Get the hell out of here! My men will start slacking off if they see bimbos like you hanging ar-!" _**WHAM!**_

Before the crew chief could finish ranting at Shion, Takeshi had delivered a textbook uppercut to the man's jaw, sending him flying. When the crew chief landed, Takeshi picked the man up by his collar and got right in his face.

"I don't care that you're a work crew chief, or a Galaxy Federation Lieutenant Commander," Takeshi growled at the man. "If you insult Shion again—" Takeshi's face now sported a massive scowl and was only an inch away from the crew chief's, "—I'll kill you." Takeshi then let the crew chief drop to the deck, let the scowl disappear from his face, turned back to the path they had to follow, and said in a lighter tone, "Let's go, Shion."

"Right," Shion replied, still somewhat shocked at what had just transpired. She then followed Takeshi out of the hangar.

* * *

A few minutes later, Takeshi and Shion were in their room. Shion had gotten a message from the ship's Realian Maintenance Lab asking her for help, and she was gathering the necessary tools from the room.

"You were impressive back there in the hangar, Takeshi," Shion said to him. "You didn't have to protect me like that, though."

"I know I didn't have to, Shion," Takeshi replied, "but I wanted to. After the accident two years ago, I promised you that I would be by your side, and that I would protect you from anything that could cause you harm or grief."

Two years ago, the U-TIC Organization had tried to steal KOS-MOS during an early startup experiment. KOS-MOS had gone out of control, killing almost everyone there. Shion's fiancée at the time, Kevin Winnicot, died protecting Shion from the rampaging KOS-MOS. Takeshi had arrived at just that moment, and was able to finally stop KOS-MOS. Unable to save Kevin, Takeshi had instead decided to be there for Shion, who had been overcome with grief. Takeshi provided Shion with a shoulder to cry on when needed, and he also protected her.

"You've done a very good job of that, Takeshi," Shion said, "and I thank you." She then gave him a peck on the cheek and started to turn away.

That peck on the cheek was all it took for the feelings Takeshi had developed for Shion over the course of those two years to come to the forefront, and he suddenly pulled her back to him, and touched his lips to hers.

Shion's eyes widened in surprise for a second, and then slowly closed as she melted into the kiss, her arms wrapping around Takeshi's neck as his arms encircled her waist and pulled her closer to him.

Eventually, reluctantly, they eased away from the kiss and stared at each other, his amethyst eyes looking into her emerald ones and vice versa.

Takeshi spoke first. "Sorry about the suddenness of that."

"You don't have to apologize, Takeshi," Shion replied. "To tell you the truth, I found myself becoming attracted to you over the course of the past two years. It's thanks to you that I was able to get over Kevin's death, and I'm ready to move on with my life—with you at my side."

"Thank you," Takeshi said in reply. "To be honest, I became attracted to you over the past two years, as well. I'd be honored to remain by your side, no matter what happens."

"Thank you, Takeshi…"

"I love you, Shion Uzuki."

"I love you, too, Takeshi Yamato."

Their lips met once again, and for a few minutes all their worries were swept away with the passion of their kiss.

Eventually, though, they had to part. "You'd better get going, Shion," Takeshi said.

"Yeah," Shion replied as they separated from the embrace. "After I help with the Realian maintenance, I still need to go to the Bridge and submit my report on KOS-MOS."

"Good luck, Shion," Takeshi said. "I'll be here in the room—I still have things to take care of."

"All right," Shion replied. "I'll come back here as soon as I'm done on the Bridge."

"Okay, Shion," Takeshi said. "Once you get back, I'll tell you a bit about where I come from."

"I'm looking forward to it," Shion replied. "I'll see you later!"

"See you later, Shion," Takeshi said as Shion left the room.

Takeshi then settled down at his desk and got to work on his personal tasks.

* * *

An hour later, Shion returned to the room to find Takeshi working on what appeared to be some kind of metal cylinder. The cylinder had a few buttons on it in various locations, and one end of the cylinder seemed to contain a lens of some kind. (1)

Takeshi looked up when he heard the door open. "Hi there, Shion," he said. "How did it go?"

"Oh, it went," Shion replied. "Captain Moriyama was understanding, but Commander Cherenkov was impatient as usual, saying things like 'There's no use for a weapon that can't get out of bed!'"

"Hmm…" Takeshi said. "Something tells me that Cherenkov's worried—as if he knows something that we don't."

"You may have a point there, Takeshi," Shion said, "but let's not worry about that right now. I'm actually pretty curious as to where you're from, and you said you'd tell me about it."

"That I did," Takeshi replied. Part of the last hour had been spent trying to figure out just how to tell Shion about his home. He'd decided that the truth, with as little sugarcoating as possible, would be best.

"First off, Shion," Takeshi began, "you probably have never heard of my homeworld. The reason for that is that I come from another timeline."

"What?" Shion asked, a shocked expression appearing on her face.

"Basically," Takeshi continued, "I come from a timeline where Earth never disappeared into a space-time distortion, and Humanity only expanded as far as the Earth-Moon System."

"Wow," Shion said in an awed whisper. It seemed a little hard to believe, but something told her that Takeshi was telling the truth.

"In my home timeline," Takeshi continued, "I was selected to become a pilot for an organization called Celestial Being. And not just any pilot, either—I had been selected to pilot one of Celestial Being's most powerful mobile weapons. I had been selected to pilot a machine known as a Gundam."

"Gun… dam?" Shion asked.

"A giant robot, similar to the AGWS and AMWS units of this timeline," Takeshi explained, "only much more powerful. In fact, it's been said that a Gundam has the power to change destiny itself."

"Amazing," Shion said. She then asked, "How did you come here, then?"

"Two years ago," Takeshi replied, "I had just finished my training and was taking my new Gundam on a test run. I came across some kind of vortex which sucked me in. When I emerged from the vortex, I arrived in this timeline—I think I arrived only minutes before I saved you that day."

Shion could swear that her jaw was on the floor. If Takeshi hadn't gotten sucked into that vortex, she probably wouldn't have met him. She might not even be alive right now if things had happened differently. At the same time, it was rather shocking he hadn't ever told her this in the two years they had known each other, but considering how strange it sounded (and knowing he wasn't the kind of man to hide something of this caliber for no reason), she quietly decided he didn't say anything because he wasn't sure she would believe him. At any rate, it didn't matter, because she did love him and believe.

"I'm glad you arrived when you did," she said. "I owe you my life, Takeshi, and you've captured my heart, as well."

"Thank you, Shion," Takeshi replied. The two embraced each other, and then their lips touched in a kiss which lasted about a minute.

When they finally separated, Takeshi said, "It's getting late. We should probably get some sleep—after all, we have another busy day tomorrow."

"You're probably right, Takeshi," Shion replied. The two then went to their beds.

"Good night, Takeshi."

"Good night, Shion."

The lights went out in the room, and Takeshi and Shion went to sleep. As he slept, Takeshi had no idea that in five hours, the _Woglinde_ would come under attack, and the power of Takeshi's Gundam—the power to change destiny itself—would be unleashed…

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

**Author's Notes:** **And there's Phase 01.**

**For those who wanted to see Luis Virgil, I'm sorry to say that the racist SOB will not be appearing. As for Cherenkov, I'm still trying to decide whether he'll have the same role that he had in the game.**

**Also, we get a glimpse into Takeshi's past, as well as where he's from. The world Takeshi Yamato calls home is actually a mixture of the worlds of every Gundam series except Turn****-****A Gundam, Victory Gundam, and Gundam Unicorn. Technology from all those Gundam Shows is also prevalent, and Takeshi's Gundam will have the best mix of it all. And as to the inspiration for Takeshi's machine, two words: Gundam Exia. :D**

**Also, I suck at writing slow-development romances, and got around that by having the Takeshi/Shion Relationship **_**develop**_** into a romance over the two years before the story began—with the development completing in this chapter.**

**It'll probably be a while before I get Phase 02 posted, so please be patient. In the meantime, please read and review.**

**Later! :D**

**Takeshi Yamato  
Azure Knight of the Raging Tempest**

* * *

**Footnotes:**

**Three Guesses as to what that Cylinder is.**


	3. Phase 02:  Gnosis Attack

**Disclaimer:** **The **_**Mobile Suit Gundam**_** Franchise belongs to Bandai Entertainment. **_**Xenosaga Episode 1**_** belongs to Bandai Namco Games and Monolith Software. I only own my OC, Takeshi Yamato, and his personal machine which makes its debut this chapter (although Knightmare Gundam of Ni helped out a lot in its design)****.**

**Author's Note:**** Here's the second chapter of **_**Mobile Suit Gundam Xenosaga**_**. This one starts with a dream sequence, and covers the Gnosis Attack. This is also where the story REALLY begins to diverge from the game, as the power to change Destiny itself begins to be unleashed.**

**OK, then, let's get started! :D**

**Author's Note 2:**** Special credit needs to go to my Beta Reader Aerith The Evenstar, who has been a big help with this story. Credit also needs to go to Knightmare Gundam of Ni, who has been a major help when it comes to mecha design****.**

* * *

**PHASE ****0****2**

**GNOSIS ATTACK**

* * *

Takeshi found himself in some kind of graveyard. The strange environment, coupled with the fact that there was absolutely no color to his surroundings (1) told him it was a dream.

A girl appeared before him, just as colorless as the surroundings, yet somehow Takeshi could tell it was the same girl he and Shion had seen in front of the Zohar in the Hangar. Her voice carried an air of mystery to it when she spoke.

"Tempest Knight…"

"Huh?" Takeshi asked, not knowing what the girl was talking about.

"The universe is in great danger," the girl continued, "and only yourself and the Angel of Celeste can avert the catastrophe to come." A silver-colored silhouette of a woman appeared next to Takeshi. The silhouette looked familiar, but Takeshi couldn't quite place it.

"However, the two of you will not be alone. There are others you must find before the final battle." Four figures appeared behind the girl, two male and two female. As the girl spoke what was obviously some kind of title for each one, an aura surrounded the person indicated.

"The White Devil of Ophanim." was the title of a twenty-something looking woman with ponytailed hair, whose body gained a white aura.

"The Crimson Dragon." was the moniker of an adolescent boy with a crimson aura.

The Emerald Samurai." was the title of man in his thirties whose form glowed with a rich green glow.

"And the Black Reaper." Another woman as old as "The White Devil" shone with a dark aura.

"Tempest Knight, you and the Angel of Celeste must find the other four warriors, and awaken their powers. However, you will also need to awaken your full powers, and unlock the secrets of the Maelstrom.

"I must go now, Tempest Knight." As the girl said this, she and the other figures and silhouettes around Takeshi started to fade. "It is now time for you to do what those like you do best, and alter Destiny itself."

With that, she was gone.

* * *

Takeshi's eyes opened as he sat up in his bed, muttering to himself,

"What a weird dream. I wonder who that girl was? And why did she call me 'Tempest Knight'?"

Takeshi then heard a tired groan as Shion sat up in her bed, which was next to Takeshi's. "What's wrong, Takeshi?" she asked.

"Nothing's wrong, Shion," Takeshi replied. "I just had something of a strange dream, that's all. I'm sorry if I woke you up."

"It's all right, Takeshi," Shion said. "I was in the process of waking up from a strange dream, myself, when I heard you talking."

At that instant, the lights came on and an alarm started to sound. Shion picked up her personal computer/communicator, activated the display, and stared in shock at the results. "I don't believe this," she said in a startled whisper.

"What's wrong, Shion?" Takeshi asked, worried.

"We need to get to KOS-MOS," Shion replied, still somewhat in shock. "According to what this is telling me, KOS-MOS is starting up on her own!"

"_**WHAT?**_" Takeshi cried out in disbelief, even as he got dressed and retrieved the metal cylinder on his desk. "Didn't you disable that ability after the accident two years ago?"

"I thought I did," Shion replied, flustered, as she also got dressed, "but then why would she suddenly begin starting up like this?"

"I have no clue, Shion," Takeshi said as they finished getting dressed, grabbed their respective pieces of equipment, and ran out of the room heading for the KOS-MOS lab. "Hopefully we'll be able to find out when we get there."

Another alarm chose that moment to go off, even as Takeshi's carefully honed intuition, so powerful he wondered if he was a Newtype, went off and alerted him to danger—a danger coming from outside the ship.

"What now?" Shion asked, incredulous.

"I think we have bigger problems than KOS-MOS," Takeshi said, increasing his speed. "Still, we need to help out Allen and the others, so let's keep moving!"

"Right!" Shion replied, increasing her speed to match Takeshi's.

Neither of them noticed partitions closing behind them. Partitions that would have forced Takeshi and Shion to take the long way to the lab if they had left their room any later than they had.

* * *

Inside the KOS-MOS lab, things were hectic as the team members kept trying unsuccessfully to stop KOS-MOS from starting up.

"KOS-MOS is starting up in Auto-Mode!" Togashi called out in shock.

Allen turned to him and replied, "What? That's impossible! We disabled that mode after the incident! Only the Chief's terminal can activate it!"

Allen's eyes widened as a sudden realization hit him. "Unless," he continued, "she's reacting to...Gnosis! Where's the Chief?"

"Right here," Shion replied as she and Takeshi ran into the lab.

"You guys all right?" Takeshi asked.

"Chief!" Allen called out, relief filling his voice. "Takeshi!" And at that moment, the lights went out even as the alarms in the lab were silenced.

"What's going on?" Allen demanded.

"I don't know, the power's just—"

Takeshi knew what was going on, and knew there wasn't any way to stop it. He turned to face KOS-MOS' maintenance bed, moving Shion behind him even as he retrieved the metal cylinder he'd been working on earlier and held it in his right hand, pointing the end with the lens away from everyone else in the room.

The maintenance bed then opened, a semi-thick mist somewhat obscuring the humanoid figure within. A slender arm emerged from the mist, grasping the side of the bed and using it as a hold so the figure could sit up. A slender leg then extended over the side and descended to the floor. The other leg followed, and the Anti-Gnosis Combat Android KOS-MOS stood up to her full height.

Her figure was slender, albeit slightly muscular, and she had a very well-developed bosom. Her frame and appearance had been designed so that she looked around 18 years of age. She possessed light blue hair that fell down to her waist, along with light skin. A large visor-like helmet sat on her head, with part of the visor extending downward, obscuring most of her face.

She was clad in very advanced armor that looked like a skin-tight white leotard with white shoulder-protectors jutting from her upper arms and white golden-trimmed thigh-high length boots with high heels. Her arms were enclosed in full-length white gloves, with an additional black one on the right arm. A fingerless black glove encased the left hand. Surprisingly, there was a black garter on her left thigh and even golden extensions on her back hips that looked like thrusters. A big Cyclops-like lens seemed to stare ominously at the lab from the visor. The words "KOS-MOS" and "Vector" were engraved at the top of the helmet.

On the inside of the visor, data displays appeared in front of KOS-MOS' eyes as she linked to the _Woglinde's_ computer, downloading all relevant data. As she located Shion, who was currently in the lab and being hidden behind Takeshi Yamato, KOS-MOS cut the link with the _Woglinde's_ computer. The visor in front of her face retracted into the helmet, revealing her blood-red eyes.

Everyone started backing away from KOS-MOS in terror—everyone except Takeshi and Shion. Shion was worried, but not scared, while Takeshi was determined to protect Shion. Takeshi's right thumb pressed a button on the cylinder he was holding, and a meter-long blade of pinkish energy erupted from the lens.

As KOS-MOS slowly approached him, Takeshi got into a fighting stance. When she stopped just outside his reach, he somehow knew that she wasn't going to attack, and deactivated his prototype Infantry-Scale Beam Saber.

"Shion," KOS-MOS said in a monotone.

"Yes?" Shion asked from behind Takeshi, still somewhat worried.

"You should evacuate. This ship is currently under attack by Gnosis."

Everyone except Takeshi gasped. Takeshi himself had figured that was what was going on when his senses had gone off. "And what are you going to do, KOS-MOS?" he asked.

"I will proceed to Hangar 1," KOS-MOS replied. "There is a 99.98% probability that the Gnosis' target is the object stored in that hangar."

_The Zohar Emulator,_ Takeshi and Shion thought at the same time.

"My assigned duties," KOS-MOS continued, "are to verify and preserve the integrity of that object, and to protect the Vector Staff Members. If you all shall evacuate, that should protect you from the Gnosis."

"You won't be going to Hangar 1 alone, KOS-MOS," Takeshi replied. He looked at Shion, who nodded, and then continued, "Shion and I will be coming with you."

"_**WHAT?**_" Allen protested. "That's too dangerous! You two could get hurt—or worse!"

"We'll be fine, Allen," Shion replied. She smiled reassuringly at him as she continued, "We'll have KOS-MOS with us."

"That's right, Allen," Takeshi said in confirmation. He then added, "However, someone needs to take charge of the rest of the staff, make sure they get back to Vector HQ. Do you think you can do that?"

Allen seemed to think about it for a couple of minutes. Eventually, he replied, "I think so."

"Good," Takeshi said. "Use the training ship to escape—it should be able to get you to Vector HQ no problem. Shion and I will secure our own means of escape."

"Good luck, everyone!" Shion called as she, Takeshi, and KOS-MOS headed for the exit leading to Hangar 1. "We'll see you all at HQ!"

"Okay!" Allen replied. "Make sure you take care of the Chief, Takeshi!"

"I will, Allen!" Takeshi replied. He then smiled as he added, "I'll protect her with my life if necessary!"

Takeshi, Shion, and KOS-MOS then exited the lab. After pausing just long enough for KOS-MOS to engage the Hilbert Effect (thus making all the Gnosis vulnerable to attack), the trio then ran to Hangar 1, in order to try and stop the Gnosis from getting their hands on the Zohar. As they ran, Takeshi proceeded to take out a dark blue glove and put it on his right hand…

* * *

By the time they reached the hangar, it was already starting to fill with Gnosis. There was no one else visible.

As KOS-MOS deployed her triple-barreled handheld Gatling Guns, proceeding to unload them into the Gnosis that were close to the Zohar Emulator, Takeshi used his Infantry-Scale Beam Saber to take out any Gnosis that came close to either himself or Shion. Eventually, a massive Gnosis appeared.

Takeshi swore as soon as he saw the massive Gnosis. "We're going to need some serious firepower to take on that thing! Shion, get behind me! KOS-MOS, give me some cover!"

Shion quickly got behind Takeshi, wondering what he was about to do even as KOS-MOS began engaging the massive Gnosis.

As Takeshi lifted his gloved right hand above his head, he called out, "RISE, TEMPEST GUNDAM!" before snapping his fingers.

A bright flash of light caused Shion to briefly cover her eyes. When the light faded, she stared in awe at the massive figure that had appeared.

It was much more humanoid in shape than an AGWS or AMWS, although the wings on its back did make it look somewhat angelic. It had a medium-sized shield on its left arm, and a smaller shield which seemed to contain a blade on its right arm. A longsword rested on its left hip, and a short sword rested on its right hip. The shoulders also appeared to have weapon mounts, though Shion didn't recognize the weapons mounted there. The head unit was designed somewhat like a samurai's helm, with a pair of "V-fins" adorning the forehead. The unit had two eyes, which had green lenses, and a pair of lines covered the faceplate in some semblance of a "mouth". A large circle in the center of its chest seemed to have the same green color as that of the eyes, although the rest of the machine was a matte gray.

It was currently crouched, and a zipline had extended from the cockpit to the ground. Takeshi ran to the zipline, grabbed it with his left hand, and then beckoned towards Shion with his right hand, wordlessly asking her to join him.

Shion hesitated for only an instant, still in awe at the machine before her, before she ran to Takeshi's side, wrapping her right arm around him even as her left hand entered his right hand.

The zipline quickly brought the two up to the cockpit, where Shion quickly got behind Takeshi as he sat in the pilot's seat. "So," Shion asked, "this is your Gundam?"

"Yeah, it is," Takeshi replied as he started to bring the machine's systems online. "GN-103 Tempest. It's designed for high-speed, close-range combat using its seven different bladed weapons, which is why some people call it a 'Gundam of Seven Swords'. It fits perfectly with my fighting style."

The main monitors came on, and Shion shuddered in fear and worry at the sight of the massive Gnosis that was currently fighting KOS-MOS.

Takeshi seemed to sense her fear, for he immediately said, "Don't worry, Shion." He turned to look at her, smiling warmly as he continued, "You'll be OK. The Tempest and I will protect you. I promise."

Shion immediately felt better, seeing the warmth in Takeshi's expression and hearing the confidence and warmth in his voice. She briefly returned his smile before they both faced forward. Takeshi's hands then started flying over the controls as he began his full startup checklist.

"GN-Drive online, particle flow stable." The cone-shaped device on the Tempest's back in-between the wings began to emit greenish-white particles, and the green circle on the Tempest's chest began to glow.

"Weapons systems, all green." A monitor displayed the status of the weapons, and Shion could see that, in addition to the swords on the hips, the weapon on the right arm (which seemed to be a hybrid weapon containing a physical blade and a beam rifle), and the weapons on the shoulders (which appeared to be beam boomerangs), the Tempest also carried a pair of beam sabers on the back of its waist, and had a pair of beam machine guns mounted into its forehead.

"EVPS Armor, active." The Tempest's eyes flashed as its body changed colors, the torso and shoulders turning dark blue while the head and limbs turned dark gray. The V-fins on the head became a dark yellow, and the shield on the left arm turned dark grey with dark blue trim, as did the Tempest's Sword/Rifle.

"Tempest Gundam, all systems online." Takeshi manipulated the handlebars and foot pedals as the Gundam stood, slowly rising to its full height of 18.5 meters.

Takeshi then pulled his sunglasses over his eyes and gripped the controls as he said, "Time to get this party started. Takeshi Yamato, Tempest Gundam, commencing combat!"

The blade of Tempest's Sword/Rifle snapped into attack position as he charged at the massive Gnosis. At the same time, KOS-MOS shifted her attention to a group of smaller Gnosis that were approaching the Zohar Emulator…

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

**Author's Notes:** **And there's Phase 02.**

**We finally get to see Takeshi's Gundam, the Tempest, and it is impressive! :) And the fact that Shion and Takeshi got to the lab before KOS-MOS woke up throws major twists into the story that even I can't predict. Also, the wuss known as Allen Ridgeley has left the building, and Takeshi has taken his place at Shion's side. This means that the story will probably have much more awesome. :D**

**Next chapter covers the escape from the **_**Woglinde**_** and the encounter with the **_**Elsa**_**. We also have a brief scene with Wilhelm and the Red Testament, where we learn the effect that the Tempest is already having on events, and we then transition to Fifth Jerusalem, where Juli Mizrahi and the Contact Subcommittee discuss MOMO's kidnapping, and plan to hire as her rescuer… WTF? NO WAY! **_**ANOTHER**_** GUNDAM MEISTER?**

**I have no clue when I'll get the next chapter done—writer's block is a large obstacle for me, and Star Trek Online takes up a lot of my time—but I'll get it done, so just be patient.**

**In the meantime, please read and review.**

**Later! :D**

* * *

**Footnotes:**

**(1) Think "Twilight Zone" here.**


	4. Phase 03: Escape

**Disclaimer:** **The **_**Mobile Suit Gundam**_** Franchise belongs to Bandai Entertainment. **_**Xenosaga Episode 1**_** belongs to Bandai Namco Games and Monolith Software. I only own my primary OC, Takeshi****,**** and the Tempest Gundam (although Knightmare Gundam of Ni helped out a lot in the Tempest's design)****.**

**Author's Note:**** Here's the third chapter of **_**Mobile Suit Gundam Xenosaga**_**. This one covers the escape from the Woglinde and the encounter with the Elsa, and then we have a scene with Wilhelm and the Red Testament. I wanted to do the start of the Pleroma Arc at the end of this chapter, but I decided it would be better to wait on that until the start of the next chapter**

**OK, then, let's get started! :D**

**Author's Note 2:**** Special credit needs to go to my Beta Reader Aerith The Evenstar, who has been a big help with this story. Credit also needs to go to Knightmare Gundam of Ni, who has been a major help when it comes to mecha design****.**

**Author's Note 3:**** I forgot to mention this earlier, but Shion is going to be somewhat OOC thanks to Takeshi's influence. This OOC-ness is going to grow more and more pronounced as the story goes on—by the time I reach Season 3 (possibly earlier), the OOC-ness will reach the point where Shion has become a Semi-Original Character. How will this affect the main story? I have no idea.**

* * *

**PHASE ****0****3**

**ESCAPE**

* * *

The Tempest charged at the giant Gnosis and slashed with its GN Sword, bisecting the Gnosis down the middle. Both halves fell away from each other before dissolving into particles.

In the Tempest's cockpit, Takeshi smiled a bit before turning to the rest of the Gnosis and opening up with the GN Beam CIWS guns, pelting them with fire and supporting KOS-MOS, whose triple-barreled handheld Gatling Guns were unloading massive amounts of bullets into the Gnosis. However, the Tempest and KOS-MOS were getting swarmed, and several Gnosis had already latched onto the Zohar Emulator's containment rings and were pulling it up through a rift in the ceiling.

When the Zohar was pulled all the way through the rift (and presumably out of the ship), the Gnosis all turned and left.

"They left?" Shion asked.

"Yeah," Takeshi replied. "Probably because they made off with the Zohar." Setting his comm system to KOS-MOS' frequency, Takeshi continued, "KOS-MOS, let's get out of here! I doubt that the _Woglinde_ can take much more!"

"Understood," KOS-MOS replied as she stored her Gatling Guns. Her right arm then changed into a beam cannon, which KOS-MOS proceeded to fire at a wall. Takeshi supported her, shifting his GN Sword to rifle mode and firing it at the same wall. Within one minute, they had a hole blasted all the way through the _Woglinde's_ hull and provided a clear escape path.

Takeshi then stored the GN Sword on the Tempest's forearm, picked up KOS-MOS with the Tempest's hands, and flew down the tunnel at speeds only a Gundam with a Mark-IV GN-Drive could manage, exiting the _Woglinde_ in mere seconds.

Once they'd gotten far enough away from the _Woglinde_, KOS-MOS drifted away from the Tempest for reasons Takeshi and Shion could only guess at, although she told them she would be back and that they didn't need to follow her.

* * *

KOS-MOS hung in space near the location of the Gnosis, watching as the Zohar Emulator was taken into one of the larger capital-ship-size ones.

"Yes," she said using her comm systems to talk to someone far away. "I have determined that the object in question was not the original Zohar."

After a brief pause as the person on the other end replied, KOS-MOS continued, "Yes. It was an Emulator."

Another pause. "Roger. Upon deploying Tracking Device I shall rendezvous with Takeshi Yamato's AMWS (1) and leave immediately. As originally planned, I shall head for Second Miltia and make contact."

A rifle appeared in KOS-MOS' hands, which she aimed at the Gnosis carrying the Zohar Emulator. She fired the rifle, sending a tracking beacon straight at the Gnosis. The beacon entered the Gnosis just before they escaped into Hyperspace.

The rifle then disappeared as KOS-MOS turned to return to the Tempest.

* * *

Back on the Tempest, Shion and Takeshi were staring out at the wreckage that was once the Galaxy Federation's 117th Marine Division.

"Man," Takeshi said, "the Gnosis can sure cause a lot of destruction."

Shion nodded, too shocked at all the death and destruction that had happened to speak.

"At least we're still alive," Takeshi continued, turning to face Shion and smiling. "Right?"

Shion smiled back. Takeshi was right, of course. At least they were still alive. "Thanks to you, Takeshi," she said.

Takeshi blushed. "KOS-MOS did most of the work. I didn't do much."

"You still managed to protect me, Takeshi," Shion replied, "and I am grateful. You're my guardian, my hero, my…" she paused for a moment as she considered her words, and then her smile grew as she continued, "Tempest Knight."

Takeshi thought back to his dream, where the girl had also called him 'Tempest Knight'. Now that he thought about it, the title actually made sense. "Thank you, Shion," he replied. "I appreciate your kind words, my angel."

Shion giggled as she leaned forward, meeting Takeshi's lips with hers in a kiss which lasted until the Tempest's sensors beeped a warning at them. Separating from the kiss, they turned to the monitors to find KOS-MOS returning.

Takeshi activated the comm system, setting it to KOS-MOS' frequency, and said, "Glad to see you made it back, KOS-MOS. So where are we off to now?"

"Our next destination is Second Miltia," KOS-MOS replied as she set down on the Tempest's right shoulder. "To get there, we must either find a still-functional ship in the wreckage which can get us there, or wait for another ship to pass through the area and obtain passage on that ship."

"Roger that," Takeshi said. He then spotted a rift indicating a Hyperspace Gate-Out and commented, "I think option 2 just presented itself."

Takeshi then turned the Tempest in the direction the Gate-Out rift had appeared in, and started moving the Tempest in that direction, making sure to keep KOS-MOS on the Gundam's shoulder.

* * *

Meanwhile, the _Lohengrin_-Class Freighter _Elsa_, having just finished Gating Out, began to fly through the debris field. On its bridge, the ship's four crew members surveyed the destruction.

"What a mess," the Captain said. He was a middle-aged man, with a wide, slightly muscular build, wearing a red cap which concealed his hair. He also wore a dark blue T-Shirt and brown pants, and had a lit cigarette in his mouth.

"Whoever it was," he continued, "they sure went all-out. You think there's anything left out there?" He then turned to his helmsman and asked, "Hey, Tony, how long before the Federation gets here?"

"Well, let's see," Tony began. He was fairly young, in his early twenties based on his appearance. His blue eyes were vibrant, and he had bright blond, almost pure yellow hair. He wore a black tank top and white pants, with the tank top showing off his somewhat muscular arms and chest. "The last SOS went out a half-an-hour ago, so… We've probably got at least three hours, right? No sign of any nearby ships, either." He then turned to the guy seated right in front of the captain's chair and asked, "Right, Hammer?"

Hammer was about as old as Tony, but much less muscular. His hair was more of a dirty blond, and his eyes were brown. He wore a blue headband, glasses, a brown jacket open in the front with a white shirt underneath, and dark brown pants.

"Yep," Hammer said in response to Tony's query. "We're the only ship within a 5,000 light-year radius."

"All right!" the captain said, slamming a fist into an open palm, putting out the cigarette in the process, as he smiled. "That should be enough. We've got time, so let's grab anything that looks salvageable."

Hammer looked up and behind him at the captain and commented, "You know, Captain, I realize the deadline for paying back Master Gaignun is right around the corner, but don't you think this is a little risky? If the Feds find us out, we'd be lucky to get ten years for what we're doing."

"That's if they find out," the captain replied. "You know the Feds aren't gonna patrol all the way out here in the middle of nowhere."

"Maybe," Hammer replied, "but I just don't like the idea of feeding off the dead. I mean, what are we, Space Jackals? Vultures? Hyenas?"

The captain then proceeded to kick the back of Hammer's chair, the impact carrying through to his head. "You moron, what kind of lame metaphor is that?" he asked.

"They're all extinct animals, Mister Matthews," the last member of the crew said in reply. He looked to be around 15 or so, and had silver hair and blue eyes. His skin was fairly dark, as opposed to Matthews, Tony, and Hammer (who all had light skin), yet not quite black. He wore a black outfit, with orange and blue trim.

"Yeah," Matthews said, "and we're environmentally-friendly Space Recyclers."

"Master Gaignun told us to stay away from any 'side jobs', remember, Captain?" Tony commented. "He said it hurts the Foundation's image. I don't know…"

All of the Elsa's radar displays chose that moment to conk out, dissolving into static.

"What the hell?" Matthews exclaimed. He turned to the fourth crew member, who had taken a seat at the remaining bridge station, and asked, "chaos, what's going on?"

chaos' fingers flew over the control panels. "No real idea," he said at last. "Radar and communications are both out, but there aren't any technical problems with either system. If I had to guess, I'd say we've entered a field of electromagnetic interference." (2)

Hammer was the one who spotted it first. "Hey, what's that?" he asked, pointing out the window.

Everyone turned and looked to see a massive figure approaching the ship. It appeared to be the size of an AMWS, and was humanoid in shape—although the wings on its back gave it something of an angelic appearance. The torso and shoulders were a dark blue, while the head and limbs were a dark gray. It had two swords, one on each hip, a shield on its left arm, and a smaller shield with a blade running backwards on its right arm. There was a green circle on the middle of its "chest", with eyepieces of a similar color to that circle. Its forehead was crested with a fin in a distinctive "V" shape. A female figure sat on its right shoulder, looking around the area and generally functioning in a vacuum in a way that no human ever could.

The four crewmembers of the _Elsa_ could only stare in shock as the machine approached the Elsa and placed its left hand on the front of the bridge.

"_Please set your communications systems to direct-contact mode,"_ a male voice said over the speakers. _"We need to speak with you as soon as possible."_

Matthews nodded at chaos, who performed the necessary adjustments. "Go for it, Captain," chaos said.

"This is Captain Matthews of the independent cargo freighter _Elsa_," Matthews began. "We were passing by the area when we heard the distress call from this area, and thought we'd drop in and lend a hand."

Tony and Hammer were shaking their heads at the blatant lying Matthews was doing. Hopefully the guy on the other end of the line was buying it…

"_So,"_ Matthews continued, _"How can we help you?"_

* * *

Takeshi figured that they should get to Second Miltia quickly, but they couldn't just force themselves on Matthews. Considering his words, Takeshi said, "I am Takeshi Yamato, pilot of the Tempest Gundam and employee of Vector Industries. We were passengers on the fleet here when it was attacked by the Gnosis. My passenger and I—and the battle android sitting on my machine's right shoulder—were forced to use this thing in order to escape. We currently need to get to Second Miltia as fast as possible, but the Tempest isn't capable of entering Hyperspace on its own."

Takeshi sighed a little bit before he continued, "So, I hate to impinge upon you like this, but do you think we can hitch a ride with you to Second Miltia? I promise to make sure you're properly compensated for the trouble."

* * *

Matthews thought about it for a few moments. Vector Industries personnel on a Galaxy Federation Fleet wasn't very commonplace. That battle android looked to be one of a kind, and he'd never seen an AMWS like that "Gundam" before, either. All told, the mystery to be solved here promised to be more than worth the trouble of the trip. The promise of compensation clinched the decision for Matthews, who was in debt up to his eyeballs and needed out of said debt as soon as possible.

"Sure thing, Mr. Yamato," Matthews finally said. "It's out of our way, but I believe it should be mutually beneficial for us to help you get there."

Hammer's expression at Matthew's decision was of pure shock, Tony's jaw was hanging open, and chaos… well, chaos' expression was unreadable.

"We'll open the main hatch for you now," Matthews continued, gesturing for chaos to do just that. "Once you get your gear securely stowed, I'd like to meet with you on the bridge, if that's okay."

"_No problem at all, Matthews,"_ Takeshi said over the link. _"I'll see you on your bridge in a few minutes. Tempest Out."_

The Tempest then floated away as it moved towards the _Elsa's_ now opening hatch. As the machine descended below the level of the bridge viewports, Tony asked, "So now we're taking on passengers, Captain?"

"Of course," Matthews replied. "This could give us a chance to get out of debt for good. Besides, even if Second Miltia is a long ways from here, it's just a simple run. What could possibly go wrong?"

Tony shook his head as he mumbled, "You shouldn't really tempt fate like that, Captain…"

* * *

Many light-years away, in an office on the Vector Industries mobile headquarters _Dämmerung_, Vector CEO Wilhelm was meeting with one of his subordinates.

Wilhelm looked to be in his early 20s, and was very handsome. He had silver hair and red eyes, and his skin was light, almost pale. He wore a black business suit, with a matching tie and a white shirt underneath.

His subordinate, in contrast, was dressed from head to toe in red armor, with a red hooded cloak and red mask obscuring his features.

"According to KOS-MOS' latest report", the subordinate was saying, "she has secured transport and is working directly with Shion Uzuki and Takeshi Yamato.

"I see," Wilhelm replied. "This is probably tough on Miss Uzuki."

"You are Vector's CEO," the figure in red commented. "KOS-MOS has been programmed to give maximum priority to any of your orders. Even Miss Uzuki, her chief engineer, is unaware of this fact, and would be unable to change it even if she was."

"Yes," Wilhelm said after a moment. "But, if anything were to threaten Miss Uzuki, KOS-MOS would protect her, wouldn't she? Tell me, is that not what would happen?"

"Of course," the figure in red replied. "Protecting Miss Uzuki would be her prime directive."

After a few moments, Wilhelm said, "Either way, it was a wise decision to pull back KOS-MOS. However, Red Testament, there is something else bothering me."

"What is it, Master Wilhelm?" the newly-identified Red Testament asked.

"Over the past two years," Wilhelm explained, "This Compass of Order has been shifting unpredictably. Something has happened to change the destined flow of events, and I am unable to see what has caused the change."

"What do you suggest we do, then?" the Red Testament asked.

"We should continue with the current plan," Wilhelm replied, "but we should also have several contingency plans ready, just in case the current plan becomes unfeasible."

"As you wish, Master Wilhelm," the Red Testament replied before leaving the office.

Wilhelm then turned to face the stars and thought to himself,

_Takeshi Yamato… just who is he, and what is his connection to current events?_

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

**Author's Notes:** **And there's Phase 03.**

**We escape from the **_**Woglinde**_** and make contact with the **_**Elsa**_**. Takeshi and Shion have another intimate moment, and Shion is the first person after Nephilim to call Takeshi "Tempest Knight". With Takeshi doing the negotiations with the **_**Elsa's**_** crew instead of KOS-MOS, things go much more smoothly, and Matthews actually tempts fate—he'll learn soon enough why doing so is very unwise…**

**And finally, we check in on Wilhelm and the Red Testament, and learn that Takeshi has been altering destiny ever since he arrived in the **_**Xenosaga**_** Universe. What changes will this make to the storyline?**

**Next chapter **_**might**_** start with the **_**Elsa**_** crew meeting Shion, Takeshi, and KOS-MOS face-to-face, but my primary intention is to use that chapter to transition over to the Pleroma section of the game. As such, that chapter will **_**most likely**_** start at Fifth Jerusalem, with the Contact Subcommittee discussing MOMO's Kidnapping. Instead of hiring Ziggy for the rescue, however, the Subcommittee instead hires a mysterious woman who calls herself "Shiroi Akuma". Just who is this woman?**

**I have no clue when I'll get the next chapter done—writer's block is a large obstacle for me, and Star Trek Online takes up a lot of my time—but I'll get it done, so just be patient.**

**In the meantime, please read and review.**

**Later! :D**

**Takeshi Yamato  
Azure Knight of the Raging Tempest**

* * *

**Footnotes:**

**(1) In the **_**Xenosaga**_** Universe, they don't have Mobile Suits—only AMWS and AGWS units. I'd say that an AMWS is the size of a Mobile Suit, which is why most people will refer to the Tempest as an AMWS.**

**(2) GN-Particles. Gotta love 'em and their electromagnetic interference capabilities.**


	5. Phase 04: The Elsa and The White Devil

**Disclaimer:** **The **_**Mobile Suit Gundam**_** Franchise belongs to Bandai Entertainment. **_**Xenosaga Episode 1**_** belongs to Bandai Namco Games and Monolith Software. I only own my primary OC, Takeshi Yamato, the Tempest Gundam (although Knightmare Gundam of Ni helped out a lot in the Tempest's design), and the new OC who makes her debut in this chapter****.**** The new OC's personal machine was my idea, but Knightmare Gundam of Ni created a functional machine out of that idea, so I am sharing ownership of that machine with him****.**

**Author's Note:**** Here's the fourth chapter of **_**Mobile Suit Gundam Xenosaga**_**. This one wraps up the Woglinde Arc, with a brief scene introducing Takeshi, Shion, and KOS-MOS to the Elsa Crew, followed by a brief Takeshi/Shion scene, which will have repercussions in the future. We then dive headfirst into the Pleroma Arc, and shift to a meeting of the Contact Subcommittee in orbit of Fifth Jerusalem. This chapter will also introduce a new OC, who will take Ziggy's place as MOMO's rescuer and bodyguard. This OC is very different from Ziggy, but I'll let you discover those differences yourselves as you read the chapter.**

**Also, the story truly earns its M-Rating this chapter. You have been warned.**

**OK, then, let's get started! :D**

**Author's Note 2:**** Special credit needs to go to my Beta Reader Aerith The Evenstar, who have been a big help with this story. Credit also needs to go to Knightmare Gundam of Ni, who has been a major help when it comes to mecha design****.**

* * *

**PHASE ****0****4**

**THE ELSA AND THE WHITE DEVIL**

* * *

_An hour or two after the events of Phase 03…_

* * *

Takeshi, Shion, and KOS-MOS walked into the bridge of the _Elsa_, the ship which would be taking them to Second Miltia, and got their first glimpses of its crew.

The pilot's seat was at the front of the bridge, with a Caucasian blond-haired man sitting there. He had the air of the standard arrogant, cocksure pilot.

At the bank of consoles behind and to the right of the pilot sat what appeared to be a teenager, with silver hair and fairly dark skin. This man seemed eternally calm and collected, and something about him was making Takeshi's Newtype Senses twitch.

Opposite him was a dirty-blond-haired man who wore glasses, and had the look of a near-constant worrier. And behind him, on a chair attached to a crane arm, was a middle-aged man with a t-shirt and baseball cap who was most likely Captain Matthews.

The entire crew had turned around in their seats when they had heard the doors open, and they all left their seats to walk over to the newcomers.

"Welcome to the _Elsa_," the man with the baseball cap said, his voice confirming that he was indeed Captain Matthews. "I'm Captain Matthews, the guy who owns this ship. The guy with the glasses is my Computer Expert, Hammer, the guy with the obvious mysterious air around him is chaos, and the guy in the tank top is my Helmsman, Tony," he continued, gesturing to each member of his crew as he named them.

Hammer nodded when he was mentioned, chaos bowed, and Tony just gave a smile, which appeared to be directed at Shion.

Takeshi nodded when Matthews had finished, and shook Matthews' hand. "A pleasure to meet you all," he said. "I'm Takeshi Yamato, Pilot of the Tempest Gundam and Employee of Vector Industries. The beautiful woman to my right is my superior at Vector, Shion Uzuki." Shion bowed as Takeshi continued, "She's also my girlfriend, so flirt with her at your own peril."

Tony's eyes widened at that, and he instantly mentally marked Shion as "taken" and forgot all plans he had for flirting with her.

Paying Tony no mind, Takeshi continued, "And the woman to my left in the fancy armor is KOS-MOS, a Battle Android designed by us as a weapon against the Gnosis." KOS-MOS also bowed when she was mentioned.

"Good to meet the three of you," Matthews replied. "You said over the communications link that you needed passage to Second Miltia?"

"Yes," Takeshi confirmed. "That was our original destination before the fleet we were on was attacked. Unfortunately, the Tempest can't use the UMN without special equipment, which I, unfortunately, don't have at the moment." He chuckled a bit, and then continued, "For that reason, I'm glad that you agreed to give us a ride, Matthews."

"Hey, you offered 'appropriate compensation', and I'm in debt up to my eyeballs," Matthews replied. "Plus, I'm kind of curious about that AMWS you piloted."

"Well, you'll get a chance to look at it eventually, Captain," Takeshi said, "but for now, I think it'd be best if Shion and I got a bit of rest. And I assume KOS-MOS could probably use a recharge, as well."

"That would be beneficial," KOS-MOS commented.

"Sure thing," Matthews replied. "chaos, would you be up for showing them to the spare quarters?"

"Sure thing, Captain," chaos said. "I can also guide KOS-MOS to one of our spare maintenance labs and set up some recharge equipment for her."

"Thank you very much, chaos," Takeshi replied. He then gestured to the entrance to the bridge as he continued, "Lead the way."

* * *

"This'll be your room," chaos said when the group reached a door. "There are two separate beds, so it should accommodate both of you."

"Thank you very much, chaos," Takeshi replied as he and Shion opened the door and entered the semi-spacious room, which resembled a typical hotel room from the Early 21st-Century AD, with two beds, a few chairs, a small table, a small bathroom, and a communications terminal/holomonitor along the wall opposite the beds.

"No worries," chaos commented, "and let us know if you need anything." He and KOS-MOS then proceeded on down the hall towards an elevator, since the maintenance labs were on a lower level of the ship.

The door closed behind Takeshi and Shion, leaving them alone together in their new quarters on the Elsa.

"Phew," Takeshi said as he sat down in a chair. "I'm kind of relieved, now that we have an official means of long-distance travel again. I was not looking forward to spending a protracted amount of time in that cockpit, which, while not cramped, definitely wasn't meant for protracted occupancy."

"Definitely," Shion replied, sitting down on one of the beds. She seemed to ponder something for a moment before she asked, "Takeshi, you know that I lost my parents fourteen years ago during the Miltian Conflict, right?"

"Yeah, I know," Takeshi answered, wondering where she was going with this. "You told me about that yourself, if I remember correctly."

Shion nodded, and then continued, "Yes, but there's something I didn't mention. The fact of the matter is, I was there when my parents died, unable to turn away as they were slaughtered by out-of-control Realians."

Takeshi was stunned. Losing her parents when she was young like that could _**not**_ have been good for her, but actually _**watching**_ them die would be even worse. "Shion," he said, concern lacing his voice.

"Obviously," Shion continued, "this left me a little insecure on the subjects of mortality and death. The accident two years ago that took Kevin from me only made it worse." Shion paused for a few minutes, battling with the pain from the memories she was bringing up, before she continued, "And the worst part of it is, I had planned on giving Kevin my virginity that night." Shion's eyes watered with unshed tears, and Takeshi could sense her sorrow and regret.

Takeshi got up from his chair and walked over to the bed Shion was sitting on. He sat down next to her, and wrapped his arms around her, which seemed to open the floodgates as she burst into tears, crying into his shoulder and clinging to him for support. "There, there, Shion," he whispered soothingly to her as he gently rubbed her back. "I'm here for you now. Nothing's going to hurt you again if I can help it."

They sat there for a couple of minutes like this before Shion was able to get her crying under control. "Thank you, Takeshi," she whispered gratefully. "I must admit that I still regret that a bit, but without you, I'd probably have had a nervous breakdown by now."

Takeshi chuckled slightly. "It's a good thing I'm here, then, huh?" he asked.

"Yeah," Shion replied, a slight smile on her face.

They sat there in silence for several minutes, before Takeshi commented, "I'm assuming your insecurities affected you quite a bit during our escape from the _Woglinde_?"

"Yeah," Shion replied. "Again, it's thanks to you that I didn't start crying earlier, seeing all that destruction and death. And don't ask me how this happened, but I was somehow able to sense some residual feelings from some of the crew's last moments."

Takeshi was stunned once again. What she described was something that newly developing Newtypes reported sensing if they visited a battlefield! _Could Shion be a developing Newtype?_ He asked himself.

Unaware of Takeshi's ruminations, Shion continued, "But when you said that at least we were still alive, I realized you were right. I also realized that all I can do to honor the dead is to live my life the best I can, without any regrets. And I realized one more thing…"

Shion looked up into Takeshi's face as she finished by saying, "I want you, Takeshi."

Picking up the subtle emphasis Shion had placed on the word "want", Takeshi blushed as he realized what she meant. He smiled at her, but his eyes were filled with concern as he replied, "Shion, I would be honored to do this with you, but are you really sure about this? Are you sure this isn't just a case of being afraid of dying a virgin?"

"I'm sure, Takeshi," Shion replied. "I will admit that fear does play a small part in my choice, but the fact is that I love you—possibly even more than I loved Kevin. And I want to show you just how much I love you."

Takeshi was blushing even harder at this. "I've always heard that the first time always hurts for a woman," he cautioned. "Are you _**really**_ sure that you want this, Shion?"

"I don't care if it hurts," Shion replied determinedly. "I want this. I want _**you**_. Please, Takeshi, take my virginity and make love to me."

Takeshi's blush grew even deeper, even as he drew closer to Shion. "Okay, then," he whispered to her just before he touched his lips to hers.

_*****LEMON ALERT! (Skip to the next alert if you are under the age of consent or do not like sex in your stories)*****_

Shion fervently returned the kiss, her and Takeshi's tongues dancing around each other's mouths as they intertwined. Meanwhile, Takeshi helped Shion out of the small upper torso jacket on her Vector Uniform as she reached down to pull off the jacket on his uniform.

A few moments later, a kind of excited, nervous frenzy overcame her as she clutched at the edges of his shirt, almost gagging him as she hastily tried to pull it up without letting him raise his arms. Thankfully, she stopped so he could breathe, and after a nervous laugh (confirming he was okay), he calmed her down by finishing the job.

As his bare chest was exposed, he masked his own nervousness with a smirk as he asked,

"Enjoy the view?"

Shion's face turned a distinct shade of red as her eyes ran over his torso, causing her to look away for a moment.

Then, after a pause, she closed her eyes as she clutched the edges of her blouse, then with a final look at Takeshi, she suppressed an urge to gulp as she pulled it up over her head, exposing her moderately endowed chest, albeit one covered in a tasteful yet conservative white lacy bra.

A moment or two went by after this, with Shion suddenly feeling a little out of her league as she looked down at her somewhat average undergarments, then looked up at Takeshi's introspective face and said sheepishly,

"I hope this isn't too unimpressive..."

Another quiet moment went by, making her wonder if the romantic mood was being killed, but then, with eerie politeness laced with a hint of promise, Takeshi asked,

"Shion, if I did something drastic to answer your question, would you mind?"

She was confused, but deciding to trust him, she nodded.

She didn't get halfway through finishing that gesture before he pulled her up onto the bed, flipping her onto her back so she was lying on her back with him straddling her waist. Meanwhile, after a momentary bit of shock at the sudden movement, she looked up into his eyes yet again, noticing a very obvious trace of desire as he looked at her partially bared torso, then his hands clamped down gently on her arms as he leaned down to kiss her.

Rather passionately at that.

* * *

As what started as some kisses on the lips turned into a trail around her jaw, he could feel Shion's body tremble against his own with obvious virginal fright as he trailed around to the left side of her head, and as she tried to suppress an apparent urge to cry, he whispered in her ear,

_"You're lovely, Shion, and if you want to stop now, I'll understand."_

She tried to reply, and after hearing a barely audible affirmation that she wanted to continue, he told her,

_"Close your eyes..."_

She did this, and as he saw her relax visibly, he realized the sight of the two of them was the scariest part, especially for a woman who had apparently not even experimented seriously as a teenager, so as he shifted their positions so they were lying side by side, he maneuvered their bodies so her hands were at his waist while his were fumbling with the back of her bra as he continued to kiss her...

* * *

Shion had to admit that, while she wasn't a coward, the sight of herself trying to be erotic was a bit much to handle, especially in the face of Takeshi, whose obvious willingness to take the lead both comforted and frightened her.

In a way, he was much like the man she had wanted to give her virginity to, and that was somewhat frightening.

However, as his hands caressed her back and his lips pressed against hers over and over again, the feeling of the man she had grown to trust holding her so intimately became a relaxing sensation, and as she followed his advice to keep her eyes shut, she was rather surprised to find herself getting turned on from the fact she couldn't see what was going on.

In fact, she was becoming so aroused she barely noticed as her bra was being gently pulled away.

* * *

As Shion's breasts were bared, Takeshi smiled to himself as Shion shivered, partially from the shock of air over her aroused breasts, and partially from the fact her attempts to cover her chest were stopped by the hands he had clamped on her arms.

Thankfully, she wasn't frightened or anything, so as one of his hands reached down to his pants to undo them and slacken their grip on his waist, he guided her thumbs to the sides of his slacks and told her in a throaty whisper,

_"Feel free to return the favor."_

* * *

As he finished, his mouth moved down to her throat, whereupon she discovered another turn on was having Takeshi kissing and licking the hollow of her throat while his hands hooked into her pants while massaging her thighs.

In fact, what he was doing was proving to be so successful at leaving her a moaning gasping pile of pleasure her hands were barely able to push his pants down to his upper thighs before they frantically started groping his hips and ass, her shyness now becoming a quickly fading memory as some unconscious idea came to her.

Next thing Takeshi knew, her feet came up to finish the job her hands started, and with a little help from himself, he was soon clad only in black boxers, poorly containing a noticeable bulge.

* * *

As he felt a draft hit his aching crotch, his attempts to make things slow and romantic died as he realized she was now as hot for him as he was for her, especially now that her eyes were wide open with excited lust, only getting more excited as he pulled down her pants, hers soon joining his own in being tossed aside, leaving both of them in their underwear, groping, kissing and generally going a little crazy from the heat of the moment.

Neither was sure how long this lasted, but it soon became a moot point when he flipped their positions again so she was straddling him.

However, she barely had time to get used to this (especially the feeling of his hard-on against her own aching crotch) before he groaned,

_"Shion, I want to see all of you..."_

* * *

At those words, Shion's former shyness became a hilariously moot point as she rose to stand over Takeshi, and, because it barely managed to beat her sex animal side half unconscious with a tire iron, her shyness returned ever so slightly as she slipped her panties off one leg at a time, again closing her eyes as the part of herself that rarely saw daylight greeted Takeshi with lips as inviting as the ones on Shion's face.

As she opened her eyes, they got to be the size of saucers as Takeshi allowed his now erect manhood to pop out into full flower, and even though she didn't have a ruler, her academic side guessed he was at or around six inches.

However, as she lowered herself to where Takeshi was currently looking a little red-faced and embarrassed (an oddly relieving sight), she allowed her crotch to hover above her bedmate's as she looked down at the pole pointing up, wondering with her own cherry red face,

_How do I get that inside me?_

* * *

Takeshi was no stranger to sex, but since Shion was a virgin, he supposed he shouldn't be surprised she was now looking at his prick, wondering what the hell to do with it.

However, since he was currently having to fight back laughter at how her eyes were goggling at something he saw every morning, he asked her while barely suppressing a chuckle,

"Are you currently wet right now?"

She looked up at him, eyes still wide, and even she looked like she was about to giggle from nervousness as she felt her womanly parts for a moment, then nodded, prompting him to tell her,

"Good. Make sure you straddle my hips, get yourself comfortable over my crotch, and then lower yourself gently, okay?"

She gulped audibly, again threatening to make him laugh, but she started lowering herself as she said,

"Okay..."

* * *

As Takeshi was watching her, her knees were almost knocking as she focused on her task, her pelvis getting closer and closer to the target.

After a moment, she gasped as Takeshi's Tab A started entering her Slot B, and while it seemed odd to think of what she was doing in terms fit for an instruction manual, it was doing a good job of keeping her calm as she felt herself gasp considerably in both pain and pleasure from where Takeshi's member was impaling her.

Unfortunately, one of her feet slipped, she fell forward slightly, and her gentle descent sped up considerably, causing both her and her bedmate to gasp in pain, with Shion even crying out as she felt the abrupt breaking of her hymen.

* * *

A shockwave of pain went through his crotch as the remainder of Shion's uteral walls closing around it went a lot quicker than expected, and he was half tempted to abort mission as he heard her cry in pain.

But, to his surprise, her eyes met his own with a silent plea of, _"Please, don't stop." _as she, through a face close to tears, forced herself back into an ideal position for straddling his hips, then, without being prompted by him, she began to pivot up and down on his prick.

* * *

As gasps of pleasure exited her mouth (and Takeshi's as well), her eyes shut once again as she focused on her task, trying to call back everything she had read about sex to make sure this surprisingly pleasurable experience went well for the both of them.

As she did, she could hear Takeshi sit up as he threw his arms around her, and as he held her as close as possible, his own ragged gasps of pleasure joined hers as their upper bodies pressed together.

Not long afterwards, after a brief pause so they were both comfortable, her grinding against his hips became more urgent as her eyes half opened and looked at him with a gaze that said,

_"I want you..."_

* * *

As their bodies kept moving to the rhythm that was bringing them closer to mutual orgasm, Takeshi's mind was nearly blank of most higher thoughts as he realized why Shion was now straddling him, eyes half-lidded with lust as her ministrations against his hips kept causing pleasant electricity to erupt between them as their loins swelled more and more with a desire for release.

She was lonely, Kevin had died before she could give him proof and she didn't want to be lonely anymore, and even though Takeshi thought her worries about fear and death were a bit paranoid, he could still understand her loneliness, and given his own circumstances, he didn't want to be lonely eith-

And that's when all ability to think ceased as the urge to come, which he had been fighting, finally released, shooting his seed into her womb as her vaginal walls squeezed around his cock.

* * *

She had always thought most people having sex in the movies were overacting when they threw their heads back, screamed passionately into the air, and jittered more than a little after the climax.

But that was exactly what she was doing, having lost control of her arousal three seconds ago, though her silent urge to get off with her lover together wasn't too far off the mark as her womb was filled with his seed.

But neither was really able to consider that as they both clutched onto each other for balance as the aftershocks of release had an immediate draining effect that left them both a bit exhausted...

* * *

_*****END LEMON (Those who wish to skip the lemon can start reading again from this point)*****_

_Several minutes later..._

* * *

The two lovers had collapsed onto the bed, thoroughly exhausted from their mutual release. They hadn't even moved from their positions since, with Shion lying on top of Takeshi, her head resting on his chest.

"That was amazing," Shion said once she'd recovered slightly from the exertions.

"That it was," Takeshi replied. "I love you, Shion."

"I love you, too, Takeshi," Shion commented. "I love you so much. I'm glad that you were pulled into this universe, and that I had the chance to meet you."

"Likewise, Shion," Takeshi replied. "I look forward to seeing where life takes us."

"As do I." Shion's voice began to show her exhaustion as she asked, "However, do you think we could stay like this for tonight? I don't want to be alone while I sleep."

Takeshi chuckled as he replied, "Of course, Shion. You didn't even need to ask, my love."

Shion giggled at his reply. "Thank you, Takeshi," she whispered, her eyelids drooping. "Good Night."

And Shion then descended into peaceful slumber, the last thoughts before her eyes closed focusing on the pleasure she had felt, and how she was now truly ready to make a fresh start, and live her life without any regrets, with Takeshi by her side…

* * *

"Good night, Shion," Takeshi whispered, watching the woman he loved sleeping peacefully on his chest.

Fate had dealt her a bad hand early on in her life with the loss of her parents, and Kevin's death two years ago only made things worse for her.

Luckily, it seemed as if Takeshi entering her life had finally started changing her life for the better, and he was glad that she loved him as much as, if not more than, he loved her.

As Takeshi's eyelids slowly closed, and he drifted off into dreamland, Takeshi thought to himself, _Shion, your life has been hard, but I'm glad that you've decided to move on._

_And I promise you that I will keep you safe from harm, no matter what it takes._

* * *

_Meanwhile, in a Distant Star System…_

* * *

Fifth Jerusalem. The Capitol World of the Galaxy Federation. It looked much like Mankind's lost homeworld, Earth (which was now called Lost Jerusalem). In orbit of the planet was a massive dock facility, linked to the planet's surface by an Orbital Elevator, and containing several chambers for secure committee meetings.

It was in one of those chambers that the Federation's Contact Subcommittee was holding a meeting, preparing to meet someone who they had hired in order to carry out a mission of great importance to them.

"So," the Subcommittee Chairman asked one of the other members, "what can you tell us about this woman?"

"Not much," was the reply. "She keeps her identity secret for personal reasons. I'd bet that only her patron knows her full story."

"A mercenary sponsored by the Kukai Foundation?" another member asked. "That seems highly irregular."

"Several companies have sponsored freelance agents in such a fashion in the past," a fourth member answered. "In return, the company always takes a small cut of any paycheck received by its agent. It's a good way to have an extra source of funding, in case the company in question runs into problems in its other ventures."

A fifth member said, "Still, you have to admit she's got quite a mission record. Over 300 successful missions, with a very high stealth quotient. Very impressive for someone who's been in the mercenary business for only a year."

A chime distracted them from their conversation. "Sir," a secretary from outside the room reported via comm to the Subcommittee Chairman, "she's here."

"Good," the Chairman replied. "Send her in."

"Yes, sir," the secretary said.

The floor in the center of the room opened up, allowing a platform to rise from below. A woman stood in the center of the platform, facing the Subcommittee Chairman as the platform locked into place with the rest of the floor.

The woman appeared to be 21 years old. She had long, light brown hair, which fell behind her in a ponytail to the level of her waist. Her eyes were a clear blue, and she had light skin. This all combined with her slim build and height of 5'7" to make her very beautiful.

"Shiroi Akuma, right?" the Chairman asked her.

"Yes," the woman identified as Shiroi Akuma replied.

"You made your first public appearance last year as a Mercenary sponsored by the Kukai Foundation," another member commented. "Since then, you've successfully completed over 300 missions, with a large number of those missions being completed in an incredibly stealthy fashion, correct?"

"Yes," Shiroi responded.

"Have you been briefed on the mission?" the Chairman asked.

"No," Shiroi replied.

"Recently," the Chairman began, "we've received information that a certain armed group has shown signs of resurgence."

"Master Gaignun has told me that much," Shiroi said in reply. "The U-TIC Organization, right?"

"Correct, Miss Akuma," the Chairman answered. "And information we've received from independent sources has given us the location of the U-TIC Organization's hideout."

Everyone then turned to face a monitor at one end of the room, which showed a massive installation hanging in space which appeared to be constructed out of six asteroids joined together. The entire exterior of the place had been painted blue-green.

"This structure was originally a shrine for some long-lost ancient religion," a Subcommittee member commented. "It was eventually abandoned and remained uninhabited for centuries."

"So, what's the mission?" Shiroi asked. "Data collection, capture, assassination, or outright annihilation?"

"Rescue, actually," the Chairman replied. "Dr. Mizrahi?"

A brown-haired middle-aged woman in a dark brown longcoat manipulated some controls on her chair. The display on the monitor changed to show a wireframe of a 12-year-old girl. The girl's portrait was also visible. She had light skin, pink hair, and golden eyes.

Shiroi recognized what the golden eyes meant almost immediately. "The girl's a Realian, I take it?" she asked.

"She's a 100-Series Realian, to be precise—the prototype, in fact," the Chairman replied. "She was recently kidnapped by the U-TIC Organization, and they are keeping her at the location we showed you."

"I know of the 100-Series Realians," Shiroi replied. "They were built specifically to combat the Gnosis. Master Gaignun employs several production models in the Foundation, so the form doesn't surprise me. Is there something special about this one—aside from her being the prototype—which caused the U-TIC Organization to go after her?"

The Chairman nodded and said, "Yes, there is. I'd rather not go into detail now—you can get the details from Dr. Juli Mizrahi later." He indicated the middle-aged brunette as he said this. "So," he continued, "will you take the mission?"

"Of course," Shiroi replied. "It sounds like fun. I'll charge my standard fee, and you don't need to worry about equipment—Master Gaignun always makes sure I have everything I need. Do we have a deal?"

"We do," the Chairman answered. "Good luck, Ms. Akuma."

"Thank you, Mr. Chairman," Shiroi replied. "Dr. Mizrahi, I'll want to see you in an hour in order to go over some of the details about the mission."

Dr. Mizrahi nodded, and the platform Shiroi was on descended once again, the floor closing behind her like a door.

Dr. Mizrahi then looked at Shiroi's record, and came across something interesting. "Well, well," she said. "Ms. Akuma seems to be very destructive. If she's ever discovered on a stealth mission, she always switches from stealth over to a Scorched Earth policy. She also goes Scorched Earth whenever her mission profile doesn't call for stealth."

"Scorched Earth?" the Chairman exclaimed.

"Yes," Dr. Mizrahi replied. "Luckily for us, she still manages to recover her target intact and unharmed if she goes Scorched Earth during a recovery or capture mission."

Dr. Mizrahi then smirked as she added, "I feel sorry for the U-TIC Organization, really. They're about to go up against the White Devil."

* * *

An hour later, Shiroi Akuma and Juli Mizrahi were back in the chamber where Shiroi had been briefed—but this time, the Subcommittee wasn't present.

"…I see," Shiroi was saying. "So this particular 100-Series Realian is encoded with extensive amounts of research data left behind by the founder of U-TIC?"

"Yes," Juli replied. "It's data that could affect the entire fate of mankind."

_In _**this** _timeline, anyway,_ Shiroi thought to herself. Out loud, she asked, "What is the founder's involvement?"

"The founder of U-TIC was the same man who advocated the creation of that child: the 100-Series Observational Unit," Juli answered. She then continued, "His name was Joachim Mizrahi… A madman who lost his humanity by immersing himself in science."

Shiroi had a surprised look on her face after learning the name of U-TIC's founder. "Any relation to you, Ma'am?" she asked.

"Actually, yes," Juli replied. "He is my ex-husband. Do you want to know what it was like being married to a murderer?"

"No, Ma'am," Shiroi said, quickly shaking her head.

"In any case, it's certain that U-TIC is frantically trying to get its hands on that data," Juli continued. "I'm afraid we don't have much time to spare."

"Right," Shiroi replied. "I'll leave tomorrow at 0600 hours."

"Our hopes rest on you," Juli commented.

Shiroi turned to leave, then hesitated for a second and looked back at Juli. "I'd like to clarify something," she said. "My orders are to take the Realian to the Miltian Star System, but she's registered with the government as your daughter. Is there some reason you don't want her brought back here?"

"We're currently carrying out an operation based in the area between Miltia and Michtam," Juli replied. "An operation vital to the human race. That's why I'm sending her there, that's all I can say right now." She then seemed to hesitate for a bit.

"There's a personal reason, as well," Shiroi observed, "isn't there, Ma'am?"

Juli's expression took a pained look. "Yes, there is," she confirmed after a few moments. "My biological daughter, Sakura, died shortly before the Miltia Conflict 14 years ago. Joachim based the appearance of the 100-Series… on Sakura's appearance. Every time I see that girl, or any other 100-Series, I remember Sakura, and the pain I felt at her death hits me at full force once again. Sending her to the Miltia System means I don't have to be reminded of Sakura's death yet again."

Shiroi's face took on a look of sadness, and she was silent for a few moments. There were plenty of things she wanted to say about this situation—how Juli needed to move on, how the girl needed a loving mother who wasn't distancing herself from her daughter because of something out of their control—but she didn't know if Juli would hear it. "I see," she said at last. "Well, I should probably go, and start preparing for the mission."

"Agreed," Juli replied, the pain leaving her expression. "I'll let you get to it. Good luck, Shiroi Akuma."

"Nanoha."

"What?"

"It's my name," the young woman replied. "Nanoha Asuka."

Nanoha then turned and headed to the elevator platform. As she descended, leaving the room, she could hear Juli say, "Good luck, Miss Nanoha."

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

**Author's Notes:** **And there's Phase 04.**

**Takeshi, Shion, and KOS-MOS have arrived at the Elsa, met the crew, and are now in individual rooms to rest. And yes, Takeshi and Shion have had sex. Rest assured that this will affect the storyline in the future—I'll just leave the **_**how**_** as a surprise at the moment.**

**After that, we travel to fifth Jerusalem, where the Contact Subcommittee has hired a woman named Nanoha Asuka to rescue MOMO, instead of Ziggy like in canon. Working with Takeshi is nice, seeing as how he's a representation of myself, but Nanoha is going to be really fun to work with, so I look forward to the next couple of chapters. :D**

**I based Nanoha on a character from an Anime I like. Now, I won't go into details, so you can figure out who she's based on by yourselves, but I will say that the inspiration for Nanoha Asuka is also nicknamed "the White Devil", and I call her the queen of "Victory by Beam Spam". Needless to say, Nanoha is going to inherit the Beam Spam qualities of her inspiration.**

**Next time, we officially start the Pleroma Arc, and we get a brief glimpse of Nanoha's machine, the Ophanim. U-TIC gets shown the power of the White Devil, and—what's this? A descendant of Char Aznable is here? Oh, this can't be good.**

**I'm starting up the latest semester of college soon, so I might not get the next chapter out until December at the latest. I promise that I **_**will**_** get it out, though, so please be patient.**

**In the meantime, please read and review. I crave your feedback.**

**Later! :D**

**Takeshi Yamato  
Azure Knight of the Raging Tempest**


	6. Phase 05: Pleroma

**Disclaimer:** **The **_**Mobile Suit Gundam**_** Franchise belongs to Bandai Entertainment. **_**Xenosaga Episode 1**_** belongs to Bandai Namco Games and Monolith Software. I only own my OCs, Takeshi Yamato and Nanoha Asuka****,**** the Tempest Gundam (although Knightmare Gundam of Ni helped out a lot in the Tempest's design) and the new OCs which make their debut this chapter****.**** Nanoha's personal machine, the Ophanim Gundam (which makes its debut this chapter) was my idea, but Knightmare Gundam of Ni created a functional machine out of that idea, so I am sharing ownership of the Ophanim with him****.**

**Author's Note:**** Here's the fifth chapter of **_**Mobile Suit Gundam Xenosaga**_**. This one officially starts the Pleroma Arc, and begins with a canon scene with Margulis talking to MOMO (and introducing yet another OC nearby), and then goes straight to Nanoha's arrival at Pleroma. It's got plenty of filler as Nanoha searches for MOMO, but once she meets up with MOMO, sparks are going to fly. We also get introduced to a couple of OCs on the U-TIC side, who come from the same timeline as Takeshi and Nanoha.**

**OK, then, let's get started! :D**

**Author's Note 2:**** Special credit needs to go to my Beta Reader Aerith The Evenstar, who has been a big help with this story. Credit also needs to go to Knightmare Gundam of Ni, who has been a major help when it comes to mecha design****.**

* * *

**PHASE ****0****5**

**PLEROMA**

* * *

On the U-TIC Stronghold _Pleroma_, two girls sat in side-by-side prison cells watched over by guards. The first cell contained a girl who appeared to be twelve years old, and she had light skin, pink hair, and golden eyes which identified her as a Realian. The girl in the other cell was fifteen years old, and she had light skin, blond hair, and mismatched eyes—her right eye was green while her left one was red.

The door to the pink-haired Realian's cell opened, allowing entry to a tall man who possessed red hair, light skin, blue eyes, and a scar over his right eye. He wore clothes that could be considered somewhat fancy, with a sword in its sheath mounted on the front of his waist.

"How are you feeling, 100-Series Realian?" he asked the girl as he entered her cell, allowing the door to close behind him. The girl did not answer.

He then looked to a table containing a full tray of food and asked, "Is the food here unsatisfactory? Even Realians require nourishment, you know."

Again, the girl did not answer. The man seemed to be annoyed as he said, "Are the Federation's 100-Series Realians so ill-mannered that they don't even reply to simple questions?"

The girl looked up at him and replied, "I don't like that name."

"Well, my goodness, pardon me," the man replied. "And what would you like to be called, Miss 100-Series Realian?"

The girl replied, "I don't like strangers to be calling me by my name." She then asked, "Where are you planning on taking me?"

"That, I'm afraid, is not for you to know," the man replied.

The girl then asked, "What will happen to me?"

The man replied, "You're going to help us out. Machines like you exist to be used. What happens to you after that, God only knows. …Assuming you people even have a god, that is."

The girl stood up and said, "All I can really do is seek out and find the Gnosis. I can't help you with anything!"

"That may be true," the man said as he walked closer to her. He pointed to his cranium as he continued, "But this part of you is a little different."

He then locked eyes with her as he concluded, "We'd like to have a word with the man you have hidden inside of you."

The girl gasped.

"In any case," the man said, "you'd best be keeping yourself alive as long as possible. 'He' will be arriving soon."

The girl did not answer, and the man left soon afterwards.

As soon as the man had left, with the door to the cell closing behind him, the Realian girl sat back down on her bed and said to herself, "Mommy… I want to go home to the lab…"

The blond-haired girl in the cell next door, having overheard the entire conversation, thought to herself, _At least these U-TIC people want her for the knowledge she contains—I'm only wanted by their allies because my abilities are useful as a weapon._

Her train of thought was interrupted by her own cell door opening. A woman's voice saying, "How are you doing, Vivio?" heralded the arrival of her own meal, carried by a blond-haired woman with light skin and red eyes dressed entirely in black. The woman appeared to be 21 years old, and stood at around 5'7". Her hair fell down to mid-back, and was tied off at the end with a black bow. Out of all the people who gave Vivio her meals, this woman was the kindest.

"I'm doing OK, Miss Aznable," Vivio replied as the woman set the meal on the lone table in the cell, "except for being bored. All I can do in this cell is eat, sleep, twiddle my thumbs, and talk with the ones delivering my food."

"I apologize for that, Vivio," Kaname Aznable replied as she moved to sit next to Vivio on the bed. "Just put up with it for a little longer. My brother should give you a cure for your boredom soon."

Vivio, wise beyond her years due to her powers, snorted. "You mean he's going to have a weapon he needs my abilities to control soon."

Kaname made a face, but knew she couldn't deny it—the girl's Newtype abilities were so strong that it was impossible to lie to her. "Yes," she admitted, "You will be controlling a weapon for him, but the controls will be a lot like playing a game."

Vivio muttered, "It doesn't change the fact that I'll be participating in mass murder." Louder, she continued, "I'll take your word for it, Miss Aznable. And thank you for the food, but I'm not really in the mood for company at the moment."

Kaname nodded, saddened at Vivio's attitude, and rose. "Very well," Kaname said. "I guess I'll talk to you later, then." She then left the cell.

Alone once again, Vivio thought to herself, _I hope someone comes to rescue the 100-Series soon, so I can ask them to rescue me as well. But if the weapon those 'Neo Zeon' people are building for me is ready before then…_ Vivio then whispered, "Mother… Father… I know your memory lives on in my heart, and you wanted me to live my life to the fullest, but I'd rather take my own life than participate in the slaughter of innocents."

Little did she know that rescue was indeed on the way, and she would not be forced to take her own life…

* * *

A small craft Gated Out of Hyperspace near Pleroma. The craft revealed itself to be a rather feminine-looking Mobile Weapon riding what appeared to be an appropriately sized sled.

The Mobile Weapon itself was white with red and blue trim, had eyes that had a sapphire glow, and it had fairly long, light-brown "hair" which added to its feminine appearance. This appearance was further enhanced by a "skirt" with twelve segments, but was marred slightly by the presence of an extremely large sniper rifle mounted on its right shoulder. A cone-shaped device on its back seemed to be its primary source of propulsion, trailing greenish-white particles behind it.

After Gating Out, it rose to its full height of 17.9 meters, leapt off of its sled (which remained where it was), and flew over to Pleroma. Once it reached Pleroma, it drew a Beam Saber and stealthily cut a small, circular hole around three meters in diameter into the installation's wall.

The machine's cockpit opened, and a figure in a pure white Normal Suit floated from her machine into Pleroma. Setting foot on the fortress just inside the hole she made, she turned around to face her machine, revealing the face of Nanoha Asuka.

"Thank you very much for the help, Raging Heart," Nanoha said to her machine's AI. "Go ahead and enter standby until I'm ready for you again."

"All right, my Master," was the response from the feminine voice of Raging Heart, the support AI on Nanoha's machine. The machine's color faded to gray before a pink glow covered the machine. A few seconds after it started glowing, the glow shrunk and then disappeared into a device on Nanoha's left glove.

Nanoha immediately turned back around and headed into Pleroma. She was on the clock now—she needed to find the 100-Series Realian Prototype before her intrusion was detected.

But once she'd rescued the 100-Series, she'd cause as much destruction in this facility as she could…

* * *

In Pleroma's control center, the various technicians and operators took care of the day to day tasks involved in running a space station.

Up until a year ago, the technicians and operators all wore the blue, Normal-Suit-Like Uniforms of the U-TIC Organization. These days, however, they were assisted by even more technicians and operators, with the new ones wearing green, black-trimmed uniforms. (1)

The red-haired man with the scar stood atop the central command platform, his aide Pellegri standing by his side. Kaname Aznable was also present

Like Kaname, Pellegri had blond hair. However, her hair was much shorter, and she had blue eyes instead of red. She also appeared to be two or three inches shorter than Kaname.

"So, Captain Aznable," the man said to Kaname, "when is your brother coming to join us? I look forward to seeing that new weapon your people are cooking up."

"The General will be here in a couple of days, Commander Margulis" Kaname replied. "He's currently supervising some of the final adjustments of the Ragnarok, and is making sure Vivio's data is used to properly tune it."

"Ragnarok," Pellegri commented. "An interesting name, and one appropriate for a weapon of mass destruction."

Before Kaname could respond, a U-TIC technician spoke up from the front of the room and said, "Commander Margulis, I'm picking up a minor oxygen vent in Sector 39. The size of the leak is consistent with a small piece of debris colliding with the exterior and punching a hole through it, but the security cameras in that area aren't functioning."

Margulis replied, "Any ideas as to why the cameras wouldn't be functioning?"

"I'm running the scanners over that area now, Commander," one of the green-uniformed operators said, "and I think I know what's causing the problem."

Kaname raised an eyebrow. "What is it, soldier?" she asked.

"I'm picking up faint GN Particle interference," the operator replied. "Normally, I wouldn't think much of it, Captain, since our Mobile Suits these days run on GN Drives. However, by running a spectral analysis, the interference is being caused by "True" GN Particles, and only one group I know of uses "True" GN Drives…"

"Celestial Being," Kaname said. "So, one of their Gundam Meisters came to this timeline, too."

Margulis frowned. Kaname and her brother had told him about this 'Celestial Being' group and their famed Gundam Meisters. Having one of them loose on Pleroma could be disastrous. He began to issue orders. "Alert all patrols. Converge on Sector 39 and apprehend-"

"No," Kaname interrupted. "The Gundam Meister is probably somewhere completely different by now, only using Sector 39 as their entrance point. Not to mention that your troops have not been trained to handle a Gundam Meister. I, on the other hand, can fight Gundam Meisters on their own terms. Leave this to me."

"Very well, Captain," Margulis replied. "Perhaps this will give me another chance to see your Bardiche in action. However, I will send some teams to plug the Meister's entrance, and to increase security there just in case the Meister planned to exit the same way they came in."

"Very well, Margulis," Kaname replied as she strode out of the room. "Good luck to both of us."

* * *

Nanoha inched her way around another corner and finally found a brig with guards in front of the cells. One cell was guarded by a pair of U-TIC Soldiers, while the other was guarded by…

_Neo Zeon Soldiers?_ Nanoha thought to herself upon seeing the two green-uniformed soldiers guarding the second cell. _What's Neo Zeon doing in this timeline? Okay, small change in plans. In addition to rescuing the 100-Series, I also need to rescue whoever it is Neo Zeon is holding captive here._

Drawing her Sidearm, she quickly fired off four shots, quickly killing the four guards and drawing the attention of the captives in the cells. A voice from the cell guarded by the Neo Zeon troops, obviously coming from a female teenager, asked "Who's there?"

"Don't worry," Nanoha replied in a kind tone. "I'm here to save you."

"Thank goodness," the teenage voice replied. "I'm not certain about the Realian in the cell next to me, but I was starting to consider what I'd do if someone _**didn't **_come to rescue us—and those thoughts weren't pretty."

As if on cue, a younger female voice came from the other cell and asked, "So, you're here to save us?"

"That's right," Nanoha replied. Looking through the small barred window on the second cell, she saw the face of the 100-Series Realian and thought, _Bingo._ "Let me just confirm," she said to the Realian. "You're the 100-Series Realian Prototype, correct?"

"I don't like that name," the 100-Series replied even as the other prisoner said, "She doesn't like that name."

"All right, then," Nanoha said before asking, "do you have another name?"

"MOMO," the Realian replied. "My Daddy calls me MOMO. I-I mean, he called me that."

"Alright then, MOMO," Nanoha said. "I've been hired by the Contact Subcommittee to rescue you."

"Mommy sent you?" MOMO asked happily.

"Yes," Nanoha replied, "and I'll get your neighbor out of here, too. Both of you, get back from the doors and get behind cover."

As MOMO and the girl did as instructed, Nanoha placed small explosive charges on each door near the locks. She then suited action to words, getting behind cover herself before detonating the charges, causing small explosions and allowing the doors to open.

MOMO and her neighbor walked out of their respective cells, with MOMO's neighbor being revealed as a fifteen-year-old girl with medium-length blond hair, light skin, a green right eye, and a red left eye.

The heterochromic blond said, "Thanks for rescuing us. My name is Vivio. Now, let's get out of here before someone finds–" and then she gasped and looked behind Nanoha to the doorway into the brig, even as the sound of footsteps could be heard.

Nanoha turned around as another blond walked into the room. She appeared to be as old as Nanoha, and matched Nanoha's height. The newcomer's hair fell down to mid-back, and was tied off at the end with a black bow. She had light skin and red eyes, and was dressed completely in black.

"Welcome to Pleroma, Gundam Meister," the woman said. "I am Captain Kaname Aznable of Neo Zeon, and I'm afraid that I can't let you leave—especially with either of our guests."

"I see," Nanoha replied. "I am Shiroi Akuma, Mercenary Gundam Meister sponsored by the Kukai Foundation and currently employed by the Contact Subcommittee, and unfortunately for you Miss Aznable, I won't let you keep either of these girls here as your 'guests'." Her right arm shot out to her side as she called out, "Ready, Raging Heart?"

A pink ball of energy appeared in her right hand as a digitized female voice replied, _"Stand by, Ready."_

Nanoha cocked her arm back as if throwing a baseball, and then threw the ball of energy as she called out, "Ophanim Gundam, SET UP!"

Halfway between Nanoha and Kaname, the ball of energy erupted in a flash of pink light that temporarily blinded everyone except Nanoha…

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

**Author's Notes:** **And there's Phase 05.**

**For those who wanted to see Nanoha in action, don't worry—the Ophanim is going to show its full power in the next chapter. After that will come my first Technical File, covering the Gundams shown up until that point****.**

**Next time, the Ophanim's full power is revealed, and Kaname reveals that she has a Gundam of her own! Will Nanoha, MOMO, and Vivio manage to escape both U-TIC **_**and**_** Neo Zeon?**

**I have no clue when I'll get the next chapter done, but I promise it will be done as quickly as possible.**

**In the meantime, your feedback helps me grow as a writer, so please read and review. :D**

**Later! :D**

**Takeshi Yamato  
Azure Knight of the Raging Tempest**

* * *

**Footnotes:**

**(1) Think the Neo Zeon Uniforms from **_**Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack**_**. Oldies, but goodies. :)**


	7. Phase 06:  Neo Zeon

**Disclaimer:** **The **_**Mobile Suit Gundam**_** Franchise belongs to Bandai Entertainment. **_**Xenosaga Episode 1**_** belongs to Bandai Namco Games and Monolith Software. I only own my OCs (Takeshi Yamato****,**** Nanoha Asuka****,**** Kaname Aznable, and Vivio), the Tempest Gundam (although Knightmare Gundam of Ni helped out a lot in the Tempest's design), and all the changes I have made to the storyline. Nanoha's personal machine, the Ophanim Gundam was my idea, but Knightmare Gundam of Ni created a functional machine out of that idea, so I am sharing ownership of the Ophanim with him****.**** The same goes for Kaname's Gundam, the Bardiche (which makes its debut this chapter)****.**

**Author's Note:**** Here's the sixth chapter of **_**Mobile Suit Gundam Xenosaga**_**.**** Sorry it took so long to get written, but I had a lot of other things occupying my time. *embarrassed chuckle***

**Anyway, this chapter's going to be fairly action-packed, as Nanoha, MOMO, and Vivio escape from Pleroma in the Ophanim while fighting Kaname's Gundam, Bardiche. We also run into some Neo-Zeon Mooks, including the story's resident Butt Monkey.**

**OK, then, let's get started! :D**

**Author's Note 2:**** Special credit needs to go to my Beta Reader Aerith The Evenstar, who has been a big help with this story. Credit also needs to go to Knightmare Gundam of Ni, who has been a major help when it comes to mecha design****.**

* * *

**PHASE ****0****6**

**NEO ZEON**

* * *

When the burst of pink light had faded, a humanoid mobile weapon was crouched between Kaname and Nanoha's group, facing Nanoha's group. The machine was a dull grey, indicative of a machine with inactive Phase Shift Armor. The unit had a feminine appearance, accentuated by its "hair" and a twelve-segmented "skirt", but slightly marred by a large Sniper Rifle on its shoulder. A conical device that Kaname recognized as a GN Drive sat on its back. The machine had also punched a hole in the ceiling of the room, causing light from the deck above to shine down on them

Nanoha quickly headed for the machine's open cockpit, making sure to bring MOMO and Vivio with her and closing the hatch as soon as the three of them were in. She sat down in the pilot's seat, with MOMO and Vivio getting behind her.

Vivio was somewhat in awe, looking around her as the walls of the cockpit came alive, showing the environment around her. "What is this thing?" she asked in a whisper.

"This is my Gundam," Nanoha replied, "the GN-104 Ophanim. Specially designed to fit my preferences for long-range combat." Turning to a small display on her seat, Nanoha said, "Raging Heart, begin startup sequence."

"_Order of the Set-Up was accepted,"_ came the mechanical female voice of Raging Heart, the Ophanim's support AI, which startled both MOMO and Vivio, who both watched in awe as display readouts appeared in front of Nanoha.

"_Drive Ignition."_ The Ophanim's GN Drive activated, emitting the greenish-white particles of a True GN-Drive.

"_Main Systems, Start Up."_ The Ophanim's sapphire eyes flashed as its Enhanced Variable Phase Shift Armor activated, turning the machine a brilliant white with blue and red trim, and turning its "hair" a light brown.

At the same time, status monitors appeared detailing the weapons: Two head-mounted Beam Machine Guns, a pair of Beam Sabers stored in the forearms, that massive Sniper Rifle on its left shoulder, and twelve special weapons that were called "Plumes" and were apparently integrated into the Ophanim's skirt.

Nanoha manipulated her controls, causing the Ophanim to rise to its full height of 17.9 meters, smashing through more of the brig's ceiling as it did so and causing said ceiling to cave in, with Kaname just barely managing to escape the collapsing room.

The Ophanim's eyes flashed again as Raging Heart declared, _"Condition Green!"_

"Then let's do as much damage as possible on our way out of here," Nanoha replied. "MOMO, Vivio, hang on tight!"

The Ophanim's GN Drive lit up, releasing more GN Particles as it leapt upwards, crashing through another ceiling as it started making its way out of Pleroma, GN Vulcans firing as it went.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kaname quickly found an open space of her own, needing to call her own machine. "Ready, Bardiche?" she asked the empty air.

The black normal suit she was wearing gained a golden glow as a mechanical male voice replied, _"Yes, sir."_

Kaname then leapt into the air, doing a backflip as she yelled out, "THEN COME TO ME, _**BARDICHE GUNDAM!**_"

An explosion of golden light heralded the arrival of Kaname's machine as it materialized around her, the process even adjusting her body so that she was sitting in the pilot's seat when it materialized. The machine was black with red and gold trim, stood at around 18.7 meters, and had a similar basic build to the Ophanim, with its "hair" being the same platinum blond as Kaname's. However, this machine had red eyes and a red circle on its front, carried what looked like a staff with a blade on one end instead of the Ophanim's Sniper Rifle, and this new machine, instead of the Ophanim's Skirt, appeared to have a very elaborate cape made out of multiple metallic segments.

Kaname quickly brought the machine's systems online with the help of the unit's onboard AI, and its Tau-Class GN Drive began emitting its reddish-gold GN Particles as the unit took off, the cape appearing to flutter behind it as it pursued the Ophanim…

* * *

Nanoha manipulated the controls again, causing the Ophanim to backflip and dodge a set of machine gun fire. She'd been blasting her way around Pleroma, trashing the place as she tried to reach an exit, when she'd come across a platoon of U-TIC AMWS and AGWS, along with some Neo Zeon Mobile Suits. She'd recognized the Neo Zeon Suits as AMS-229 Geara Kaisers, the latest model from Neo Zeon which had only entered production a couple of years before Nanoha had been pulled into this universe. Their outward design was based on a mix of the Dreissen and Geara Zulu models used over 200 years ago, but their technology was state of the art, including Tau-Class GN Drives, and they were extremely versatile, thanks to their Zodiac Armament Collective Packs which were basically Neo Zeon's answer to Striker Packs. The ones she encountered appeared to be using a mix of the Close-Combat Leo and High-Mobility Aries Packs, and a few weren't equipped with any packs at all.

As soon as the Neo Zeon and U-TIC forces spotted her, they'd immediately opened fire, and the extreme close-quarters meant that her Sniper Rifle was a bit impractical, forcing her to rely on the GN Vulcans and the Beam Sabers. However, just because Nanoha's specialty was Long-Range Combat, didn't mean that she was a slouch at close quarters.

In addition, AGWS units were designed to fight Gnosis, and were usually no larger than half the size of an AMWS or a Mobile Suit. And as the AGWS pilots were learning (at the expense of their lives), their miniature units were just no match for a Gundam.

The AMWS units were outclassed, too, but only because they had never been designed to fight anything like a Gundam. The only U-TIC/Neo Zeon units that could possibly go up against a Gundam were the Geara Kaisers.

U-TIC was learning this the hard way, as an AMWS that had tried sneaking up behind her was gutted by the Ophanim's left-hand Beam Saber.

The Ophanim then looked to its left before unleashing a volley of Vulcan fire, shredding a trio of green U-TIC AGWS units. Another AGWS unit tried attacking the Ophanim from the side, only to be sent flying by a kick from the Gundam. The unlucky AGWS was sent clear across the current battlefield before impaling itself on the GN Beam Greatsword of a Geara Kaiser with a Leo Pack and subsequently detonating.

After about ten minutes of running combat through Pleroma, all surviving U-TIC AGWS and AMWS units had been pulled back to prevent any more losses, leaving the Geara Kaisers as the only units left on the field fighting Nanoha.

One Geara Kaiser near the outskirts of the battle, painted light green as opposed to the standard dark green and not equipped with any ZAC Pack, suddenly brandished a Beam Saber and charged the Ophanim. Another pilot shouted angrily, "Dammit, Colasour, get back here! You don't stand a chance against that thing! Especially not without a ZAC Pack!"

"No way am I pulling back!" Patrick Colasour XIII replied. "For the past year, I've been doing nothing but Simulator Battles. Now's the time for me to show my worth!"

Unfortunately, Patrick Colasour XIII shared the same faults as Patrick Colasour I, who fought for the AEU over two hundred years earlier: Mediocre Piloting Skills, no intelligence, and a massive ego. Nanoha blocked Patrick's first strike with her own Beam Saber, and then proceeded to use her Beam Saber to dismantle his Geara Kaiser. All that was left of Patrick's MS when Nanoha was done was its cockpit and its Tau-Class GN Drive.

The pilot that had shouted at Patrick sighed, facepalmed, and muttered, "That idiot…"

Nanoha's thoughts were similar. _That pilot was a total idiot, charging me without any Equipment Packs. I'd be wasting effort in killing him._

MOMO and Vivio, somehow managing to stay behind Nanoha's seat even during the fighting, simply stared in awe at the results of Nanoha's piloting skills, as they had been doing for much of the fight.

Raging Heart chose that moment to report, _"Master, incoming enemy from behind and to the left!"_

Nanoha reacted, performing a quick dodge to the right as a scythe of golden energy sliced through where the Ophanim had been only seconds before. The Ophanim then turned to face its newest attacker, allowing Nanoha, Vivio, and MOMO to get a good look at it.

The new machine was black, with red and gold trim, and had a feminine look to match the Ophanim's, although it lacked the Ophanim's skirt. It even had "hair" similar to the Ophanim's, only the new machine's "hair" was platinum blond, not brown like the Ophanim's. The only weapon it seemed to have was the massive Beam Scythe it carried in both hands. And on its back, over its Tau-Class GN Drive, was a cape which seemed to consist of fifty interlinked metal segments. Its head turned to look at the Ophanim, revealing crimson eyes which flashed as if it were glaring at its foe.

* * *

In the Bardiche's cockpit, Kaname was indeed glaring at the Ophanim, whose pilot was proving quite troublesome.

Opening a channel to the other Neo Zeon Pilots, Kaname ordered, "All Geara Kaisers, fall back immediately. I shall deal with the enemy."

"_Yes, Ma'am,"_ the pilots chorused as they fell back, although one Geara Kaiser stayed on the battlefield long enough to retrieve the cockpit of Patrick's Geara Kaiser.

As soon as the Kaisers had retreated, the Bardiche turned, fully facing the Ophanim, and brought its scythe into a ready position.

Kaname then said to her Gundam's AI, "Bardiche, activate Bloody Mist and deploy Claws. Aim to incapacitate the enemy Gundam, without injuring or killing its occupants. I don't want to infect them with Tau GN Particles."

"_Yes, sir,"_ the Bardiche's AI (which was also named Bardiche) replied in a mechanical male voice. _"Bloody Mist. Photon Lancer."_

Crimson GN particles spewed out of the Bardiche's Tau-Class GN Drive, in similar fashion to the ancient Throne Drei's Stealth Field, yet much greater, as the entire battlefield seemed to be covered with a red fog.

The Bardiche's cape then split off into its fifty component segments, each one of them a remote weapon based on the Fangs of the ancient Throne Zwei, which then zoomed off towards the Ophanim's location.

* * *

Nanoha's eyes narrowed as the enemy Gundam which looked so similar to her Ophanim, and yet so different at the same time, released the large cloud of Tau Particles, which were even obscuring her vision.

"_Confirming similarities to the Stealth Field used by the Throne Drei during the 15 Years Of Conflict,"_ Raging Heart reported. _"Advising Caution."_

"Thank you, Raging Heart," Nanoha replied. She then muttered to herself, "I need to get out of here in a hurry, which means I need to use the Wide-Area Beam Rifle. However, this fog complicates things, because it even interferes with a Gundam's sensors, so Raging Heart won't be able to cover evasion while I set up my shot. How do I do this?"

"I can help you, Miss Akuma," Vivio remarked.

"You have no experience in a Mobile Suit," Nanoha replied. "How can you help?"

Vivio looked down at her feet as she explained. "I have the ability to sense when I'm in danger, and how to avoid it. Those 'Neo Zeon' People who held me captive called me a 'Newtype'."

Nanoha's eyes widened in shock. "You're a Newtype?~!~?" she asked.

"Yes," Vivio replied. "And they compared the power of my abilities to two people I've never heard of. I believe their names were Tiffa Adill and Lalah Sune."

Nanoha's jaw was now hanging open. Tiffa Adill and Lalah Sune were two of the most powerful Newtypes alive during the 15 Years Of Conflict, the greatest continual war that her timeline had ever known!~! If Vivio was as powerful as they were…

Vivio's eyes widened. "Miss Akuma, dodge left, now!~!~!"

Although Nanoha was a few seconds from reacting, Raging Heart immediately acted, spinning the Ophanim to the left as three small projectiles zipped through where it had been.

"_Remote Weapons detected,"_ Raging Heart reported. _"High probability of being derived from the Fangs used by the Throne Zwei during the 15 Years Of Conflict. Advising Caution."_

With that, Nanoha was truly convinced. If Vivio could sense remote weapons that small even in this blasted fog, she had to be a powerful Newtype. And that gave Nanoha an idea…

"Vivio," she said, "do you think you could work with Raging Heart to help me evade the enemy while I work on getting us a path out of here?"

"I-I think so," Vivio replied uncertainly.

"Then let's give it a try," Nanoha said with conviction. "Raging Heart, activate the WABR, and drain the entire magazine of GN Particles into the shot. Meanwhile, work with Vivio to evade all enemy attacks."

"_All right, My Master,"_ Raging Heart replied as what looked like a massive targeting scope descended in front of Nanoha.

"MOMO, make sure to hang on tight," Nanoha said to the Realian.

MOMO nodded as she gripped Nanoha's seat as tightly as she could.

"You ready, Vivio?" Nanoha asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be, Miss Akuma," Vivio replied.

"Please, call me Nanoha," Nanoha commented. "'Shiroi Akuma' is just an alias. Now, let's get to work!"

Vivio then closed her eyes, concentrating on feeling for the enemy, while Nanoha looked into the targeting scope, watching as the rifle's energy charge steadily rose…

* * *

The next five minutes were like a beautiful, but deadly, dance as the Ophanim continued to evade the Bardiche's Claws. All the while, it held its powerful Sniper Rifle in both hands and was looking down the scope. Kaname was becoming even more irritated at the Ophanim as it continually evaded her attacks by the narrowest of margins.

And that's when a _**massive**_ pink beam erupted from the barrel of the Ophanim's rifle, taking out about twelve claws, blowing a hole through the fog, and even tearing a hole all the way through Pleroma and out into space.

Nanoha then took direct control of the Ophanim again and sped through the hole she made, going as fast as the Ophanim could go even as she switched a fresh cartridge into her Rifle.

Shooting out of Pleroma and into open space, Nanoha quickly withdrew back to where her Sled still was, the Ophanim quickly mounting the sled.

"_Confirming connection to Hyperspace Booster Sled,"_ Raging Heart reported. _"Connecting to UMN."_

"Right," Nanoha replied. "Raging Heart, plot us a couple of random jumps to start. We'll throw them off our trail before heading to Second Miltia. Initiate first Jump when ready."

"_All Right."_

"Second Miltia?" MOMO asked. "We're not going to Fifth Jerusalem?"

"No," Nanoha replied, "we're not. Apparently, you're needed over at Second Miltia. I wouldn't be surprised if Dr. Mizrahi is there as well, though."

MOMO, who had been getting depressed at not going to Fifth Jerusalem, brightened at the last part of Nanoha's comment. "Okay!" she said.

"_Jump in 3… 2… 1…"_Raging Heart commented just before the Ophanim leapt into Hyperspace.

* * *

Kaname leapt from the Bardiche's cockpit to the ground, making it there fairly easy in the microgravity.

The 100-Series Prototype had escaped. Rescued by the same Gundam Meister who had taken Vivio away. And part of Kaname—her kind, gentle side which didn't like what Neo Zeon and U-TIC were up to—was secretly glad that they had gotten away.

_The Path we're going down is wrong,_ she thought to herself as she walked to Pleroma's Command Center, Bardiche having returned itself to where Kaname stored it. _And I myself am probably damned for all the atrocities I've committed in the name of Neo Zeon._

_However, there's no turning back for me_.

As she stepped into the command center, she spotted a very familiar man talking to Margulis. A man who looked almost exactly like their ancestor, Char Aznable, looked like during the Axis Incident, one of the final battles of the 15 Years Of Conflict, and who was wearing a uniform similar to what Char had worn back then. This man was Kaname's older brother, General Charles Aznable, commander of the Neo Zeon forces that had been pulled into this timeline.

Noticing Kaname, he turned to face her and smiled.

Kaname smiled back, affection showing in said smile.

An affection which, as the days went by, was growing more and more forced.

_My body belongs to my brother, and I exist to serve him. I cannot go against his orders, no matter how much I wish to__._

_Gundam Meister Shiroi Akuma… please… protect Vivio and the 100-Series where I could not…_

* * *

Once they were safely away, Nanoha sat in contemplation for a few moments, as MOMO and Vivio settled in on the floor of the cockpit to take naps.

Eventually, she whispered, "Raging Heart."

The AI responded via text only, so as not to wake up MOMO or Vivio.

"_Yes, My Master?"_

"I think it's time to accept Master Gaignun's offer," Nanoha said, still whispering to avoid waking MOMO and Vivio. "We're never going to make it home at this rate, so we might as well make this timeline our new home. We'll still operate as we have been doing, however."

"_Understood. What will you use as your new name?"_

The woman once known as Nanoha Asuka, and later as Shiroi Akuma, smiled as she spoke the two words that would be her new name…

"Nanoha Takamachi."

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

**Disclaimer 2: **_**Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha**_** is property of Seven Arcs.**

**Author's Notes:** **And there's Phase 06****.**

**Nanoha, Vivio, and MOMO have now escaped from Pleroma, and are on their way to Second Miltia. And Nanoha has changed her last name, from Asuka, her family name and one of her last links to her home, to Takamachi.**

**Yes, Takamachi. As in Nanoha Takamachi, the protagonist of the **_**Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha**_** Franchise.**

**Which means that yes, this is now technically a Gundam/Xenosaga/MGLN Crossover.**

**However, we won't be using MGLN Magic—the main MGLN Elements I'm using are certain characters (such as Nanoha and Fate), and their preferred combat styles. And there will always be slight differences between the original characters and their Quantum Mechanical Counterparts. That said, this story's version of Nanoha is based on her **_**MGLN StrikerS**_** Incarnation.**

**And we have a descendant of Patrick Colasour as our resident Butt Monkey. I always liked Colasour, especially considering that he was tougher to kill than a Ninja Cockroach, and I felt his descendants would appear in multiple militaries, and the males would be just like he was, especially if they were named after him. The Patrick Colasour in Neo Zeon is the thirteenth member of that family to bear the name Patrick—a number that I chose deliberately, because the negative connotations associated with it make him even **_**more**_** of a Butt Monkey.**

**Lastly, we finally get a glimpse at Charles Aznable, the leader of the local Neo Zeon Forces, descendant of Char Aznable, and our resident Char Clone. We also learn what kind of relationship he has with his sister, Kaname.**

**Next Chapter will be a Mecha File, containing profiles on all the Gundams and MS seen to date, and it should be up in less than a month.**

**In the meantime, your feedback helps me grow as a writer, so please read and review. :D Also, if you haven't already, please go back and check out the additional content I added to Phase 04. :)**

**Later! :D**

**Takeshi Yamato  
Azure Knight of the Raging Tempest**


	8. Mecha File 01

**Disclaimer 1:** **The **_**Mobile Suit Gundam**_** Franchise belongs to Bandai Entertainment. **_**Xenosaga Episode 1**_** belongs to Bandai Namco Games and Monolith Software. I only own my OCs, the Tempest Gundam (although Knightmare Gundam of Ni helped out a lot in the Tempest's design), and all the changes I have made to the storyline. The Ophanim Gundam, Bardiche Gundam, and Geara Kaiser were my ideas, but Knightmare Gundam of Ni created a functional machine out of those ideas, so I am sharing ownership of those machines with him.**

**Disclaimer 2: **_**Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha**_** is property of Seven Arcs. I am only borrowing a few names and concepts for use in my story.**

**Author's Note: Hello, and Welcome to my first Mecha File!**

**These will show up periodically throughout all three Seasons of **_**Mobile Suit Gundam Xenosaga**_**, detailing the Original Mobile Suits, Mobile Armors, and Warships that appear in the story.**

**Please note that all of these machines have at least partially been designed by Knightmare Gundam of Ni, and if you've read his stories, you'll know that his mecha profiles are always rather long, second only to those of Velshard. Knightmare's stuff is also very, **_**very**_** powerful, and again, the only machines that can compare to what he makes are those designed by Velshard. Some of the stuff Knightmare has designed for Season 2 (which is still a fairly long ways off) could be considered broken depending on your Point of View, and some of the mecha I have planned for Season 3 will probably be out-and-out **_**GODLY**_** when he's through with them!**

**With that said, let's start the Mecha Profiles for the GN-103 Tempest Gundam, GN-104 Ophanim Gundam, NZG-77 Bardiche Gundam, and the AMS-229 Geara Kaiser.**

**Enjoy! :D**

**Author's Note 2:**** Special credit needs to go to my Beta Reader Aerith The Evenstar, who has been a big help with this story. Needless to say, credit also needs to go to Knightmare Gundam of Ni, who has been a major help when it comes to mecha design, and who pretty much wrote these Mecha Profiles himself, with my main role being that of guidance and overall design planning.**

* * *

"_Don't worry, Shion. The Tempest and I will protect you. I promise."_  
– Takeshi Yamato, to Shion Uzuki

**Model Number:** GN-103

**Code Name:** Tempest

**Pilot: **Takeshi Yamato

**Unit Type: **Seven Swords High-Speed Close-Combat Mobile Suit

**Manufacturer: **Celestial Being

**Operator: **Independent Gundam Meister Takeshi Yamato

**Overall Height:** 18.5 Meters

**Weight:** 60.0 Tons

**Armor Materials:** Silver Silicide/Delta-Titanium w/ Bonded Compressed Hyperdiamond Lattice

**Power Plant: ** GN Drive (improved energy/particle generation, higher stealth/jamming factor)

**Propulsion:**  
1 x GN Vernier (Drive-Mounted, 3D Thrust-Vectoring Capable)

8 x GN Thrust II (improved magnetic emission fields, 2x greater direct thrust than standard GN Thrust, mounted on Freedom wings in between feathers)

**Special Systems:**  
Enhanced Variable Phase Shift Armor  
TRANS-AM System  
Omnidirectional GN Field System

**Equipment and Design Features:**  
Extreme Low-Weight Frame Design  
Nano-Fabricated Armor  
10 x Magnetic Thrust Vectoring Field Emitters (Freedom Wing Feathers)  
Quantum Psycoframe-Integrated Cockpit Hull

**Fixed Armaments:** 2x Head-Mounted 10mm GN Beam CIWS Guns

**Hand Armaments:**  
1x GN Sword XI (mounted on Right Arm)  
1x GN Long Blade X (mounted on Right Hip)  
1x GN Short Blade X (mounted on Left Hip)  
2x GN Beam Sabers X (mounted on back of Waist)  
2x GN Beam Boomerangs (mounted in Shoulders)

**Bio:** A design descendant of the GN-001 Exia, the Tempest is a Gundam built in the same vein as that archetype, utilizing high-output verniers and thrusters to achieve high speeds and allow startlingly quick directional changes, all the while remaining sturdy enough to slam directly into – and through – an entire battleship. This is primarily due to the chassis design of its GN Drive , which prioritizes increasing the electrical and magnetic charge of the GN particles to allow them to be more affected by the magnetic fields of the weapons and the propulsive systems, as well as the GN Field system.

The Tempest utilizes twin binder-mounted propulsion systems with primary integration into the GN Particle feeds. The two propulsive systems utilize a combination of eight GN Thrust IIs with ten Magnetic Thrust Vectoring Field Emitters on two 'wings'. This set-up allows the Tempest to reach speeds exceeding 52 kilometers per second in atmosphere, and almost 79 kilometers per second in space. With the MTVF Emitters, the GN Thrust II's thrust can be vectored in any direction capable, and allow the Tempest an unprecedented degree of agility.

In terms of armor, the Tempest utilizes a new nano-fabricated material designed specifically for use with the new Enhanced Variable Phase Shift Armor, utilizing a new nano-alloy consisting of Silver Silicide and Delta-Titanium, bonded with a compressed hyperdiamond lattice on a molecular level. This gives the Tempest, even with its thin armor, unparalleled immunity to any and all physical ordnance and kinetic-energy attacks, as well as a large degree of resistance to directed energy weapons. The EVPSA's modular programming nature allows it to be adjusted for varying degrees of energy consumption, resilience, conductivity, etc.

The Tempest's internal frames are constructed of 8092-Ti Aluminum-Titanium hyperalloy with supreme tensile strength and light weight. The alloy's elasticity also lends it to shock absorption well.

In terms of armaments, the Tempest has the standard GN Beam CIWS guns in its head, developed for use against light armor and infantry, as well as projectile interdiction.

Its primary weapon is the GN Sword XI, a heavily upgraded version of the GN Sword series. Its edge is constructed of an updated variant of the same material used in GN Condensers, giving it a higher GN Particle infusion threshold and allowing it to be heated up to temperatures of up to 7,000 Kelvin (1,000K hotter than the energy mean of the Universe 300,000 years after the Big Bang) . The blade also has built-in quantum harmonic oscillation mechanisms that cause the edge to vibrate at frequencies escalating into the terahertz range. This actually allows the blade to harm Gnosis opponents in absence of a Hilbert Effect, as the quantum harmonic oscillators extend into the imaginary realm. The GN Sword XI has an alternate mode that switches it into a rifle mode, with the blade folding into the side of the Tempest's forearm and extending a rifle barrel out of the forearm sheath. Due to recent improvements in Condenser and Accelerator material design, the average beam fired by the GN Sword XI is three times denser and more energetic than contemporary beam weapons, and has a velocity of 8920 kilometers per second.

The GN Long and Short blades are made of the same materials but lack the quantum harmonic oscillators of the GN Sword XI.

The Beam Boomerangs based on the Tempest's shoulders utilize a combination of gravitational lock generators and toroidal magnetic field impellers to travel in an arc to and from the throwing point. Their beam blade densities are actually three times that of the GN Beam Saber Xs' due to the somewhat smaller size of their blades.

The Tempest's cockpit is unique in that its hull is integrated with hundreds of millions of specially designed nanomachines. These nanomachines are designed to detect and analyze the quantum brainwaves generated by the average human, effectively reading the pilots mind. When combined with a pseudo-organic nano-circuitry command and control network, this effectively allows partial mental control over the Gundam, vastly increasing the pilot's reaction time to external stimuli the point of near precognition.

All in all, the Tempest is one heck of a machine.

**Physical Appearance:** Similar to the Gundam Exia, but with GN Sword/Rifle from the Gundam Exia R2, the Sword Strike Gundam's Beam Boomerang Mounts on BOTH Shoulders, the Gundam X's Head Unit, and the Freedom Gundam's wings (minus the Plasma Cannons) on the back in Full Open Mode (the wings bracket the GN Drive).

**Color Scheme:**Same color scheme as the Gundam Exia (with the wings retaining their original color scheme), but with all the colors darkened a few shades (semi-dark grey instead of white, dark blue instead of regular blue, etc.). The eyes are the standard emerald of a "True" GN-Drive-Equipped Gundam.

* * *

"_I didn't earn the nickname 'White Devil' for nothing, you know."_  
– Nanoha Asuka/Nanoha Takamachi

**Model Number:** GN-104

**Code Name:** Ophanim

**Pilot: **Nanoha Asuka/Nanoha Takamachi

**Unit Type: **Long Range Fire Support/Battlefield Dominator

**Manufacturer: **Celestial Being

**Operator: **Kukai Foundation

**Height: **17.9 Meters

**Weight: **75.9 Metric Tons

**Armor Materials: **Low-Density Electroactive Silver-Delta Titanium Alloy

**Power Plant: ** GN Drive (improved energy/particle generation, higher stealth/jamming factor)

**Propulsion:  
**1 x GN Vernier (Drive-mounted, 3D Thrust Vectoring capable)  
2 x GN Thrust Verniers (Binder-based, 3D Thrust Vectoring Nozzles attached)  
1 x GN High-Thrust (Lower Backpack, 3D Thrust Vectoring Nozzle attached)  
10 x Electrostatic Ion Verniers (backpack edges, equidistant from each other)

**Special Systems:  
**Disconnected Rapid Armament Overlook Operating Network Funnel Control System (DRAGOON FCS)  
Enhanced Variable Phase Shift Armor  
TRANS-AM System  
Supporting AI Entity "Raging Heart"

**Equipment and Design Features:  
**2x Forearm-Based GN Beam Shields  
Hair-Like Radio/Light Distance and Ranging detection system/Quantum-Encrypted Communications System

**Fixed Armaments: **2x Head-Mounted 10mm GN Beam CIWS guns

**Hand Armaments:  
**2x GN Beam Sabers X (Stored in forearm compartments)

1x Long-Range Wide-Area Beam Rifle (Holstered on Left shoulder when not in use, uses GN Magazines to supply particles/energy)

**Remote Armaments: **12x XG999 'Plume' Rapid Movement Extended Operation Funnels (powered by High-Capacity GN Condensers, armed with 2 x Fire-Linked 25mm Beam Guns each, each funnel is 5 meters by 1.3 meters by .7 meters, stored on skirt/hip docking/charge points when not in use)

**Bio: **A Gundam developed specifically for long-range fire support and battlefield domination, the Ophanim is a Gundam powered by a GN Drive optimized for high output and an increased GN Particle stealth factor. As a whole, the Ophanim is light for its size, due primarily to its low-density Silver/Delta-Titanium alloy armor. It is, however, remarkably sturdy due to the Enhanced Variable Phase Shift and the GN Beam Shields integrated into its forearms.

As a support unit, the Ophanim isn't exactly the most durable Gundam ever built, although most would be surprised by how sturdy it is relative to its mass. This, of course, is because of the advanced Enhanced Variable Phase Shift armor, which uses the high conductivity of the Silver/Delta-Titanium Alloy armor to give the Ophanim near-immunity to physical attacks. Due to a Non-Newtonian Fluid coated onto the inner sides of the armor, the Ophanim's pilot is also mostly immune to the effects of high-velocity impacts.

The hair-like filaments extruding from the Ophanim's head are a series of highly-flexible radio and light antennae that absorb radio waves and light in order to determine the distance, range, and even velocity of nearby objects, with a total sensory range of 12.4 kilometers. It also doubles as a directed beam light and radio communications system using Quantum Encryption to disguise the nature of communication as common spatial interference.

In the area of armaments, the Ophanim has a rather standard set of two 10mm GN Beam CIWS, meant for use against missiles and lightly-armored non-mecha targets.

The Ophanim's Wide-Area Beam Rifle uses a series of GN Condensers and Accelerators to generate a high-density beam that is widened by a high-charge magnetic coil at the end of the barrel, turning the beam into a wide-area (150 meter) blast with an extremely long range due to the speed the Accelerators added to its velocity. Enough energy and GN Particles are packed into the initial, non-widened beam to allow it to pierce through a triple-layered GN Field and an entire ship, with enough left over to decimate a company of mobile suits lined up. Thus, even in its widened state, the beam is powerful enough to destroy an entire platoon of units, even when all spread out. The WABR can also modulate the spread of its beam, allowing it different penetration capabilities.

Due to its power, the WABR would use almost all of the energy a standard GN Drive would generate in thirty seconds, and even with the 's increased output, the WABR would put a large damper on the Ophanim's operation. Thus, the WABR is instead powered by High-Capacity GN Magazines, a single one of which has power and particles for up to nine moderate-energy shots, with the Ophanim storing an extra six magazines on its upper arms. Thankfully, the GN Drive can fully charge each Magazine, given enough time (approximately 72 hours to recharge the extra six magazines)

The Ophanim's beam sabers are stored in specialized compartments based on the sides of its forearms, and are ejected into its hands when required.

Utilizing a combination of AI support and Quantum Entanglement communications, the Ophanim's DRAGOON FCS controls twelve 'Plume' Funnels that are armed with twin fire-linked 25mm Beam Guns and are equipped with a high-output GN Vernier for high-speed movement and fine attitude control. They utilize a High-Capacity GN Condenser located in their main body to power their systems and weapons, and charge when they dock onto the hip and skirt armor ports on the Ophanim.

**Physical Appearance:** Similar to the Gundam Nadleeh, but with a Long-Range Beam Rifle shaped like those used by Dynames and Cherudim attached to the right shoulder and 12 Remote Weapons attached to the hip and skirt armor.

**Color Scheme:**White, with Blue and Red Trim. The eyes have a sapphire glow, and the "hair" is colored light brown.

* * *

"_By the time the enemy sees Bardiche, it is already too late for them."_  
– Kaname Aznable

**Model Number:** NZG-77

**Code Name:** Bardiche

**Pilot: **Kaname Aznable

**Unit Type: **Stealth Multi-Purpose Melee Dominance Mobile Suit

**Manufacturer: **Neo Zeon

**Operator: ** Neo-Zeon

**Height: **18.7 Meters

**Weight: ** 82.9 Metric Tons

**Armor Materials: **Condensed Boron-Titanium Carbide Hyperalloy

**Power Plant: ** Tau-Class GN Drive (Chassis modified for higher stealth factor and independent recharge capability)

**Propulsion:  
**1x GN Vernier (Drive-Mounted, 3D Thrust Vectoring capable)  
2x Low-Energy GN Thrusts (Invisible Particle Exhaust, Mounted on outer shoulders)

**Special Systems:  
**'Bloody Mist' Stealth Field

**Equipment and Design Features:  
**Multi-Functional Camera System  
Advanced GN Particle Condenser System

**Hand Armaments:  
**1x GN Beam Scythe

**Remote Armaments:** 50x GN Claws

**Bio:** Developed to serve as an infiltrator and assassin, the Bardiche Gundam would initially appear to be greatly underpowered, with only what appears to be a long stave constructed out of the same material as its armor being its weapon. It would also appear to be ridiculously flamboyant, with a cape made of fifty interconnected metal shards flowing from the top of its backpack module.

This, however, belies its great tactical potential in the hands of a skilled pilot. Through the use of its Bloody Mist Stealth Field system, a descendant of the 0 Gundam's GN Feather Drive Exhaust and the Throne Drei's Stealth Field, the Bardiche can create an area that fully cancels out radiation-based communications and sensors, as well as producing a reddish haze that hides the Gundam from sight.

When combined with the specialized Low-Energy GN Thrusts attached to its shoulders, the Bardiche can effectively move throughout a Bloody Mist area with impunity, allowing it to ambush even the most alert of enemies.

It's only apparent weapon in this is the GN Beam Scythe. Essentially a heavily-modified GN Beam Saber mounted at the end of a pole the length of a mobile suit, the Scythe's blade benefits from its exclusivity as a beam weapon, possessing an extremely high energy density and as such having greater cutting power than any equivalent pure beam weapon, excepting perhaps the upper-scale GN Bazookas and the GN Buster Rifles. Due to this, the Beam Scythe is practically unstoppable by common physical objects, slicing through most known materials with ease, excluding the Condenser-derived blades of GN Swords and objects coated with an extremely thick layer of anti-beam gel.

The only other armaments of the Bardiche are the fifty GN Claws that make up the 'cape' it has attached to the top of its backpack section. The GN Claws are a descendant of the GN Fangs, modified for lesser size while maintaining operating time and GN Particle charge. This is accomplished by drastic downsizing of the upgraded GN Condenser and Capacitors, as well as the advanced GN Micro-Vernier. In their cape-like storage mode, each Claw connects to the other via nanological ports on the rear dorsal and front ventral surfaces, with the uppermost Claws connecting to ports on the backpack. Each GN Claw is made of a modified variant of steel alloy using E-Carbon, Iron and a small amount of titanium, and have monomolecular edges manufactured via precise gamma-laser cutting.

The Tau-Class GN Drive the Bardiche uses is a new model that is fully capable of independent recharging. This is accomplished by a special device that allows it to collect particles to serve as fuel for the Particle Decay process, although in order for it to function the Drive must be offline. As well, the Particle treatment process used in the Mk. IV Tau Drive creates GN particles with a higher jamming factor along with decreased visibility.

The Bardiche's design allows it to serve in the field independent of standard support forces most Tau GN Drive mobile suit require for recharging, and its Bloody Mist makes it perfect for defensive or ambush operations.

**Physical Appearance:** Similar to the Gundam Nadleeh, but with a massive Beam Scythe inspired by Fate Testarossa's Intelligent Device from _Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha_ (said Device is also where the Gundam gets its name), and a cape attached to the back which contains the Gundam's GN Claws.

**Color Scheme:**Black, with Red and Gold Trim. The eyes have a ruby glow, and the "hair" is colored platinum blond.

* * *

"_Fall, Gundam!"_  
– Patrick Colasour XIII

**Model Number:** AMS-229(A, B, C, D, E, F)

**Code Name:** Geara Kaiser

**Unit Type:** Mass-Production General-Purpose Mobile Suit

**Manufacturer:** New Zeonic Corporation

**Operator:** Neo-Zeon Mobile Weapons Forces

**Height:** 17.92 Meters

**Weight:** 99.206 Metric Tons

**Armor Material:** Null-Gravity-Forged Titanium-Carbide/Ceramic Matrix Composite  
Allotropic Gundarium Lambda Alloy

**Power Source:** Tau-Class GN Drive  
ZAC-Pack-mounted GN Capacitor

**Propulsion:** Drive-Incorporated GN Vernier  
2 x GN Pulse Thrusters + 2 x Super-Magnetized Ramjets (Optional)  
Many x Pulsed-Inductive Ion Verniers

**Special Systems:** Integrated Tachyon Command, Control, and Communications (C3) System  
Active Mass-Balance Auto-Control System

**Equipment and Design Features:** 1 x Anti-Energy Shield (Optional)  
2 x Shoulder-Integrated Launchers  
Monocamera Super-Compact Visual Sensor Suite.  
Zodiac Armament Collective (ZAC) Pack Hardpoints

**Optional Hand Armaments (W/O ZAC-Pack):** 75mm GN Beam Assault Rifle  
GN Beam Saber  
GN Beam Tomahawk

**ZAC-Pack Armaments and Equipment Add-ons:**

**ZAC-1 Leo Close Combat Pack (A)ttack! Attack!  
****Armaments:** 1 x GN Heavy Beam Axe or 1 x GN Beam Greatsword, 2 x Forearm-Mounted 120mm GN Spray Gun  
**Equipment:** 1 x Intermittent Pulsed Electronic Scrambler

**ZAC-2 Aries High-Mobility Pack (B)ypass!  
****Armaments:** 1 x Handheld 75mm GN Beam Assault Carbine, 2 x Forearm-Mounted GN Short Beam Sabers  
**Equipment:** 2 x Shoulder-Mounted Maneuvering Binders (2 x High-Frequency Pulsed-Inductive Ion Thrusters/3D Thrust Vectoring Systems)

**ZAC-3 Tragos Heavy Assault Pack (C)onflagrate!  
****Armaments:** 1 x Handheld 300mm GN Mega-Beam Cannon or 1 x 250mm Linear Munitions Launcher, 2 x Shoulder-Mounted 250mm Tactical Missile Launchers  
**Equipment:** N/A

**ZAC-4 Scorpio Stealth Pack (D)isappear!  
****Armaments:** 1 x Handheld 125mm Accelerated GN Beam Sniper Rifle or1 x Handheld 60mm Accelerated GN Beam SMG, 1 x GN Hyper-Oscillating Short Blade  
**Equipment:** GN Semi-Holographic Stealth Camouflage

**ZAC-5 Libra Tactical Command and Control Pack (E)xecute!  
****Armaments:** 1 x Handheld 80mm GN Beam Battle Rifle, 2 x GN Beam Sabers or 1 x GN Long Sword  
**Equipment:** C3 Tachyon Accelerator, Quantum Information Exchange Unit

**ZAC-6 Gemini Innovative Newtype Area Dominance Pack (F)uck all!  
****Armaments:** 1 x Handheld 50mm GN Beam Magnum, 1 x GN Glaive  
**Equipment:** 2 x Shoulder-Mounted Bit Binders (8 x Offense Bits, 4 x Defense Bits each), Psyco-Helm Generative AI Unit

**Bio:** The newest and most advanced Geara model in Neo-Zeon's Mobile Weapons Forces, the Geara Kaiser (Emperor) is a highly adaptable and durable mobile suit, designed to be able to take on any situation with its Zodiac Armament Collective Packs. Originally issued to testing units and special forces, it saw mass-production and assignment only two years previous to the event that saw a large contingent of Neo-Zeon troops and resources trapped in the new universe/dimension.

Equipped with a standard-issue general-purpose Tau-Class GN Drive and using the new GN Pulse Thrusters in conjunction with a standardized Pulsed-Inductive Ion Thruster network, the Geara Kaiser is capable of a sustained acceleration of approximately 1.59 Earth gravities, up to its maximum limit velocity of 10,000 m/s in space and 7,500 m/s in 1 Earth atmosphere. Greater acceleration can be obtained by adding the optional Super-Magnetized Ramjets to the GN Pulse Thrusters, increasing maximum acceleration to 2.07 Gs.

The Kaiser's armor uses a variant of the now-ubiquitous Gundarium alloy, forged using allotropes of the elements used in the treatment process and incorporating minute amounts of GN Particles into the material during initial cooling stages. This grants the alloy greater-than-normal strength and flexibility, with the GN Particles generating an interesting 'anti-field' upon being struck by either a GN or conventional beam weapon, minimizing damage taken while still retaining the alloy's trademark durability against ballistic weapons.

However, due to logistical limitations, such as the armor's usual difficulty to produce and repair, most of the Geara Kaiser's armor uses a Titanium-Carbide and Ceramic Matrix material, using the Gundarium Lambda Alloy in sensitive spots like the cockpit and GN Drive housing. This material, while markedly less durable than most of the modern Gundarium Alloys, is just as light and effective as the original Lunar-Titanium Alloy.

Built-in equipment is sparse compared to that of other mobile suits of the modern age, due to the use of equipment packs, but the Kaiser uses an updated version of the traditional Zeonic Monoeye camera system that incorporates many sensor technologies that allow the Kaiser to acquire and track multiple targets, using a wide-band EM receiver lens and tight-band lidar/radar systems. Built into the forward shoulders are twin Launchers used to fire munitions such as blinding and EMP devices in standard space warfare, or even high-explosive mortar rounds for anti-infantry/light vehicle use. An optional Anti-Beam shield, built in layers of various low-conductive alloys sandwiching a thin slice of last-generation Gundarium Kappa Alloy and coated with an ablative gel, can be attached to either forearm.

Not intended to use standard armaments, the Geara Kaiser's general weapons are limited to a fairly standard GN Beam Assault Rifle, GN Beam Tomahawk, and GN Beam Sabers, and these are usually stored inside weapons racks on the inside of hangers for use in grave emergencies.

The Geara Kaiser's real power comes in with the equipment of the Zodiac Armament Collective Packs. Each one is designed to attach and detach quickly and with little or no fuss, whether being clamped on by hanger systems or ejected in combat, to allow the quick re-equipment of a Kaiser as needed. The six 'ZAC-Packs', as they're called, are tuned towards a specific purpose, and are named after one of the classical Earth constellations.

The first pack, the Leo, is designed for straight-forward, brutal, berserk melee combat, and is intended to be used in combination with the Super-Magnetized Ramjets and an Anti-Beam Shield to allow the Kaiser to approach with speed while heavily outnumbered. The Leo Pack's main armament is either a GN Heavy Beam Axe or a GN Greatsword, both being excessively, almost comically large weapons with great mass and GN charge capabilities, designed using GN Condenser materials in the physical portion of the blades to enhance the strength of the beam. Either weapon is easily capable of piercing a GN Field and can, with repeated strikes, compromise the GN Composite Armor used in Celestial Being's standard Gundams. Secondary weapons attached to the forearms are a pair of twin GN Spray Guns. Modeled after the Beam Spray Guns used by the GM, these weapons have an effectiveness similar to that of shotguns: weak at long range (1,000 Meters) okay at medium range (650 Meters) and absolutely horrifying at short ranges (400 Meters). Due to the lack of cohesion in the projectile, it tends to dissolve somewhat as it travels. This greater-than-usual dissolution means that upon contact with a resisting solid, the projectile spreads out greatly and inflicts more collateral damage than a normal beam.

The second pack is Aries, designated as high-mobility enhancement and atmospheric flight. Attaching Maneuvering Binders to the back of the shoulders, each with additional High-Frequency Pulsed-Inductive Ion Verniers and 3D Thrust Vectoring Systems give an Aries-equipped Kaiser enough maneuverability to dance through a thick asteroid field completely avoiding almost all of the free-floating rocks with ease. Armed with a GN Beam Assault Carbine and forearm-mounted GN Short Beam Sabers for close-combat, the Aries is generally use as a forced scouting pack and as air-support for conventional ground forces, bypassing enemy defensive lines in either case.

The Tragos is the heavy assault and artillery pack, using either a 300mm GN Mega-Beam Cannon or a 250mm Linear Munitions Launcher to deliver select and accurate destruction to a single large target, or blanket an area with devastation. Attached to the shoulders are a pair of Tactical Missile Launchers, each with six slots for 250mm missiles, with a variety of warheads to choose from; Plasma, GN Particle, High-Explosive, and Nuclear among them. These warheads can also be fired from the Linear Munitions Launcher as artillery shells.

The Scorpio is a stealth pack. It equips the Kaiser with a device similar in concept to the GN Camouflage used by Celestial Being's Gundams during their Repose mode, generating a GN Particle-based holographic field around the unit to wipe it from visual EM bands, while also absorbing or deflecting EM sensor waves. The primary weapon for Scorpio packs are the 125mm Accelerated GN Beam Sniper Rifle, and the 60mm Accelerated GN Beam SMG. Both weapons attach a super-magnetized beam accelerator (looks like a suppressor) to accelerate the beams fired so that they are almost invisible from the side. This also makes them have a much better chance of penetrating armor, although it reduces the collateral damage dealt. The only melee weapon the Scorpio has is a Hyper-Oscillating GN Short Blade, built with a GN Condenser edge to allow it to be super-charged with GN Particles for maximum penetration and radiative damage.

Used only by squad leaders and platoon commanders, the Libra pack uses a Tachyon accelerator to increase the broadcast range of the Geara Kaiser's built-in Tachyon-based C3 System. Used to retain absolute contact with the primary leaders of a typical Neo-Zeon battalion, the Quantum Information Exchange Unit can transmit up to 100 Megabytes of data per minute in either direction, and looks like the antennae that was mounted on the heads of early MS team commander's suits. The primary armament of the Libra is an 80mm GN Beam Battle Rifle capable of slightly modulating the acceleration factor for either greater armor penetration or collateral damage. Backing this up is either a pair of GN Beam Sabers or a single GN Long Sword similar to that of Gundam Exia's.

Definitely the rarest and most valuable of the ZAC-Packs, the Gemini pack is designed specifically for the use of Innovators and Newtypes. The primary ranged weapon of the Gemini is the 50mm GN Beam Magnum. While it's lesser barrel diameter may at first seem to disqualify the weapon as a magnum, which are typically much larger than standard weapons, the Z-pinching and magnetic constriction technology incorporated into the barrel allows it to fire a beam 200mm in diameter, and with energy values more typically associated with 150cm ship-grade beam weapons. The melee weapon is the GN Glaive, what amounts to a Hyper-Oscillating GN Condenser Blade mounted on a pole constructed entirely out of Gundarium Lambda Alloy. Attached to the shoulders are the Bit Binders. Each Bit Binder is shaped like a half-circle attached to a metal beam, and has docks for a total of twelve Bits, each about the dimensions of the Kaiser's leg. Generally, eight Offense Bits and Four Defense Bits are assigned to each Binder. The Offense Bits incorporate a GN Spray Gun into its central structure while the Defense Bits can project a rectangular plane GN Field four meters wide and twelve meters tall.

Placed on the Geara Kaiser's head is the Psyco-Helm, a unit that is designed to resemble the samurai-style head of the horrifying Gundams, and uses a warped and twisted version of the iconic V-fin that looks more like devil horns. The Psyco-Helm uses information received from Psychic Communicators built into the Innovator's/Newtype's helmet to construct a short-lived, shackled AI that works with the pilot's own mind to control the bits. In general, the use of this AI increases a Newtype's effectiveness by a power of three, such that a Newtype on the level of Amuro Ray could, with the Psyco-Helm, control as many as three hundred individual Bits.

Based in part on the letter designations for each ZAC-Pack, the test pilots made up different battle cries for each to shout out, listed above with the ZAC-Pack armament and equipment lists. It is notable that many thought the Gemini Pack's 'Fuck-All!' cry to be particularly apt, especially with a strong Newtype piloting it.

**Designer's Note:**Looks like an AMX-009 Dreissen in the shoulders, torso, and upper legs, but a Geara Zulu in head, arms and lower legs. Standard model painted dark green with different color highlights depending on pilot rank. Self-Proclaimed "Neo-Zeon Ace" Patrick Colasour XIII always has his unit painted a light green, in honor of the Enact piloted by his ancestor, Patrick Colasour I of the AEU.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**** And there you have it. The first three Gundams of the story, and Neo-Zeon's-Mass Production MS.**

**As I said above, they're pretty dang powerful, and as the last chapter showed, AMWS and AGWS Units are no match for them.**

**I wasn't expecting Knightmare to make them **_**quite**_** as powerful as they are, but I'm running with it, seeing as how they're supposed to be 200 years more advanced than the Gundams and MS that showed up in the TV Shows and Movies.**

**And expect to see Mass-Production MS popping up all over the place as the story goes along, for with the arrival of Takeshi, Nanoha, and Neo Zeon, the age of the AMWS is over, and the era of the Mobile Suit is about to begin.**

**Next Chapter might take a while, because I still have to figure out precisely how to bring Nanoha, Vivio, and MOMO to the **_**Elsa**_**, and I should probably cover a few events from the **_**Elsa's**_** perspective before Nanoha, Vivio, and MOMO join them. Not to mention the fact that I'm in the process of designing a Persona 3 Fanfiction.**

**And as for my SRW Fanfic, "Retrospective Beloved", my muse has not provided me any further ideas for it, so I'm considering giving that one up for adoption.**

**Regardless, I **_**WILL**_** get the next chapter of this story done eventually, so please be patient.**

**In the meantime, your feedback helps me grow as a writer, so please read and review. :D**

**Later! :D**

**Takeshi Yamato  
Azure Knight of the Raging Tempest**


	9. Phase 07:  Transit

**Disclaimer:** **The **_**Mobile Suit Gundam**_** Franchise belongs to Bandai Entertainment. **_**Xenosaga Episode 1**_** belongs to Bandai Namco Games and Monolith Software. I only own my OCs, the Tempest Gundam (although Knightmare Gundam of Ni helped out a lot in the Tempest's design), and all the changes I have made to the storyline. The Ophanim Gundam, Bardiche Gundam, and Geara Kaiser were my ideas, but Knightmare Gundam of Ni created a functional machine out of those ideas, so I am sharing ownership of those machines with him.**

**Disclaimer 2: **_**Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha**_** is property of Seven Arcs. I am only borrowing a few names and concepts for use in my story.**

**Author's Note:**** Here's the seventh chapter of **_**Mobile Suit Gundam Xenosaga**_**.**** Sorry it took so long to get written, but I had a lot of other things occupying my time. *embarrassed chuckle***

**Anyway, this chapter's mainly a bit of filler, covering what has happened on the **_**Elsa**_** while Nanoha has been busy with her mission, and it starts the day after Shion and Takeshi's session of love-making****.**** There's also a bit of exposition, explaining a bit about the world Takeshi and Nanoha come from.**

**OK, then, let's get started! :D**

**Author's Note 2:**** Special credit needs to go to my Beta Reader Aerith The Evenstar, who has been a big help with this story. Credit also needs to go to Knightmare Gundam of Ni, who has been a major help when it comes to mecha design****.**

* * *

**PHASE ****0****7**

**TRANSIT**

* * *

One day had passed since Takeshi, Shion, and KOS-MOS had met up with the crew of the _Elsa_.

And in the _Elsa's_ Cafeteria, everyone was having a meal of curry, which had been cooked by Shion.

And they were loving it.

"Man, Shion, your cooking never ceases to amaze me!" Takeshi commented before taking another bite of the curry. "Honestly, even my mother never made anything this good! Seconds, please!"

"Sure thing, Takeshi, and thank you for the compliment," Shion replied, serving him another helping of curry.

Hammer, Tony, and chaos were praising Shion's cooking as well. Captain Matthews, well…

"Oh, come on!" he said between mouthfuls as he shoveled the food into his mouth. "How can this girl's cooking be any good?"

chaos was the one who pointed out the obvious flaw in that statement. "But Captain, you're stuffing your face…"

"Ah, shut up!" Matthews replied, slamming his glass of water down on the table. "Don't disturb a man while he's eating!" He then handed his glass to Shion, saying, "Water!"

"Sure," Shion replied, her hands going to the water pitcher.

"Shion, may I have some more water, as well?" Takeshi asked, handing Shion his water glass.

"Of course, Takeshi," Shion replied. "And since you were _**much**_ more polite in your request than Matthews, your refill will come first."

Takeshi chuckled at this, while Matthews had an "are you kidding me?" look on his face.

chaos then asked, "So, how did you learn to cook curry that tasted this good?"

"Well," Shion replied, "I actually got the recipe from a guy who owns a restaurant on Second Miltia. I always went there when I was growing up, and practically adored his curry, so he gave me the recipe. I'm afraid mine pales in comparison to what he made, though…"

"Are you kidding me, Shion?" Takeshi asked incredulously. "There's no way that there can be any curry better than this!"

Shion giggled. "Well, I guess I'll have to take you by his place on Second Miltia once we get there, so you can see for yourself."

chaos watched the banter between Shion and Takeshi with a bit of amusement. It didn't take much of a genius to know what the two had been up to the previous night, even if the walls were somewhat soundproofed, but Hammer and Tony were clueless, while Matthews might have noticed but didn't give any hint about it, with a poker face that could bluff just about anyone.

As for himself, chaos was glad that Shion had found happiness with Takeshi. He knew her older brother, Jin, having met the man during the Miltian Conflict 14 years earlier, and silently checked in on that family from time to time. He didn't like how he'd been unable to save her fiancée during the Startup Experiment Fiasco two years ago, but the fact that she had managed to find happiness with another since then warmed his heart.

"All I can say," Tony piped up, "is that we normally don't have food anywhere _**near**_ this good."

"No kidding," Hammer added. "Normally there isn't even a _**hint**_ of estrogen on this ship, so you can forget about having a good meal."

"Who usually does the cooking?" Takeshi remarked, keeping his mouth shut about the topic of men being unable to cook. He knew a few men who were quite good chefs, and the Waltfelds had taken the art of Coffee Brewing and turned it into a science. In fact, every Celestial Being Survival Kit came with a few packets of Waltfeld Coffee Grinds in various flavors.

Takeshi himself wasn't a bad chef, but that wasn't to say that he was a good chef, either. He could boil things in water, could use a microwave and toaster oven, and was decent at putting together some basic meals if he had the proper ingredients. But he doubted that his skills compared to Shion's, or any of the chefs he knew, for that matter.

He was brought out of his thoughts as Tony answered his question. "We take turns. Not that it matters, because the cooking's _**always**_ bad."

"There is one person onboard who does nothing but eat," chaos remarked, as all eyes turned to Captain Matthews, who was _**still**_ stuffing his face with food.

Matthews looked up at chaos and growled, "What's that!" Chaos rapidly shook his head and Matthews then handed his glass to Shion again saying, "Water!"

"Sure," Shion replied.

"I'd like some more water, as well, Shion," Takeshi said as he also handed his glass to Shion.

"Of course, Takeshi," Shion replied. "And once again, since you were _**much**_ more polite in your request than Matthews, your refill will come first."

Everyone else in the cafeteria laughed as Matthews muttered, "Give me a break…"

* * *

A few moments later, Takeshi and Shion were in the kitchen, washing the dishes from the excellent meal.

"I haven't had a chance to comment yet," Shion said to Takeshi, "but I really like the clothes you put on today."

Indeed, that morning Takeshi had decided to forego the Vector Industries Uniform he'd been wearing for the past few days for a completely new outfit. Said outfit consisted of white and grey pants, a blue undershirt, an overshirt that was blue above the level of his shoulders and white below that level with a small green diamond in the center of his chest at the boundary between the other two colors, and a dark blue jacket. **(1)**

"Thank you very much, Shion," Takeshi replied. "This was actually the Uniform I was given when I joined Celestial Being."

"Ah, yes, the organization who selected you to become the pilot of that Gundam of yours," Shion remarked, remembering the conversation they'd had on the Woglinde before the Gnosis attack. "Can you tell me anything about it?"

"I can tell you a few basics," Takeshi replied, "but it also involves a bit of a lesson on my timeline's history. Celestial Being was originally created by a man named Aeolia Schoenberg some 400 years ago, who hadn't liked the political situation developing around the Earth Sphere and believed that Humanity needed to unite before we expanded into space.

"The organization made its first appearance in the 15 Years of Conflict, some 200 years later, one of the biggest conflicts in the history of my timeline. So many different factions were facing off against each other. The Union, the HRL, the AEU, OZ, the Orb Union, the Principality of Zeon, ZAFT, and several independent groups such as the Junk Guild, the Serpent Tail Mercenary Group, and independent Salvage Groups collectively known as Vultures were all involved in the fighting. Celestial Being entered this conflict with the goal of ending it. They did this by conducting Armed Interventions. If there was a battle going on, they showed up and attacked both sides. If there was a nation or corporation that supported war, they were also attacked."

"Ending war with more war…" Shion commented.

"A little hypocritical, I know," Takeshi replied. "It did work a little bit. The hatred of all the nations of the world was directed against them, and after a while they dropped off the map, seemingly destroyed. Most of the Nations of the Earth joined into the Earth Sphere Federation, with only the Orb Union remaining separate. ZAFT remained separate, as well, its forces living in special Space Colonies called PLANTs, but they formed an alliance with the Orb Union and tried to coexist with the ESF. Zeon had been destroyed, and the civilians of its colonies were reabsorbed into the ESF.

"However, trouble was still brewing. A man named Ribbons Almark, genetically created by Aeolia to guide humanity along the path to peace, believed that humanity could only achieve peace if he actively ruled it from the shadows. Through him, the ESF created groups called the Titans and A-LAWS, meant to remove remaining anti-unification forces but in truth acting like thugs. OZ ended up working alongside them, although this did force a split, as some members of OZ didn't like how the Titans and A-LAWS operated. Organizations like Katharon and the AEUG formed to oppose the oppression of the Titans, A-LAWS, and the OZ Loyalists. The remnants of Zeon formed an organization called Neo-Zeon, seeking to reestablish an independent homeland for themselves. And the PLANT/Orb Union alliance, along with many of the independent groups, were caught in the middle.

"The 15 Years of Conflict were not over yet, and Celestial Being was forced to return to the stage. This time, however, their targets were the Titans, A-LAWS, and OZ. They considered themselves partly responsible for the creation of the Titans and A-LAWS, and sought to destroy this obstacle to true peace. They joined the ZAFT/Orb Alliance, because those two nations had embraced peace, only taking up arms to defend themselves against the other nations. Sharing technology made all three much stronger, and they assisted the AEUG and Katharon against the Titans, A-LAWS, and the OZ Loyalists. Eventually, the AEUG and Katharon were completely absorbed into Celestial Being. The OZ Separatists, led by a man named Treize Kushrenada, joined Celestial Being's side in the conflict. Neo Zeon joined the fray, too, allied with another group of colonial separatists known as the White Fang, turning it into a massive three-way battle. Most of the independent groups tried to stay out of the war, but the Junk Guild Ship Re: H.O.M.E. and its crew, the Serpent Tail, and a group of Vultures led by a man named Jamil Neate joined forces with Celestial Being and their allies.

"Eventually, the A-LAWS, Titans, and OZ Loyalists were defeated, and Ribbons was killed by Celestial Being Gundam Meister Setsuna F. Seiei."

"Gundam Meister?" Shion asked.

"The term Celestial Being uses to identify the pilots of its Gundams," Takeshi replied before continuing his history lesson. "Neo Zeon and White Fang took longer to defeat, with Neo Zeon becoming led by legendary One Year War Ace Char Aznable, and White Fang led by former OZ pilot Zechs Marquise, who was then known as Milliardo Peacecraft. Their forces fought even harder than the Titans, A-LAWS, and OZ Remnants had, and they intended to drive humanity off of Earth by sending massive asteroids careening into the planet. With most of the Earth Sphere Federation's military having belonged to the Titans and A-LAWS, the Celestial Being/ZAFT/Orb Alliance was the only thing that could stop Neo Zeon and White Fang.

"In the final battle of the 15 Years of Conflict, Char and Milliardo began their final gambit, sending the massive asteroid base Axis towards Earth. Celestial Being, along with a large ZAFT and Orb Fleet and Jamil's group of Vultures, stood in the way, intending to stop Axis at all costs. Char was engaged by Amuro Ray, who had been his rival ever since the 15 Years began, while Milliardo was engaged by his rival Heero Yuy. And in the end, Axis was destroyed by the three most powerful Gundams fielded by Celestial Being: Setsuna's Gundam 00 Qan[T], Heero's Wing Zero Custom, and the Gundam Double-X piloted by Garrod Ran.

"Peace reigned for the next 200 years. The Earth Sphere Federation maintained a small defense force, but never actively attacked anyone. Neo Zeon returned to its home colonies, and focused on defending its homeland. And the Celestial Being/ZAFT/Orb Alliance took on the role of Peace Keepers, trying to stop any future conflicts before they started. The only truly hostile elements were remnants of the Titans and A-LAWS, who began functioning much like terrorists. Sure, border skirmishes sometimes occurred between Neo Zeon and the ESF, but they never really escalated into full scale war again. However, Celestial Being has continued as a deterrent, developing the pinnacle of Mobile Suit Technology in conjunction with ZAFT and the Orb Union to make sure that the Earth Sphere never falls into full scale war again."

"Wow," Shion commented. "Sounds like you had a large responsibility thrust upon you when you were selected to be a Gundam Meister, Takeshi."

"Yeah," he admitted, "but I enjoyed it. I'm actually a descendant of another pilot from the 15 Years of Conflict, one Kira Yamato. He was considered one of the best pilots of his time, right alongside Amuro Ray and Setsuna F. Seiei. So I actually inherited the family legacy when I became a Meister."

He stopped washing dishes as his eyes got a faraway look in them. "Even though I'm not in the Earth Sphere anymore, I still follow the tenets of Celestial Being. Gundam Meisters never fight for our own benefits, or for personal gain. We only fight when there is no other way to stop a battle, or to protect someone close to us."

Takeshi turned to Shion and concluded, "Shion, I swear upon my honor as a Gundam Meister that I will do everything in my power to keep you safe. You are the most precious person in the universe to me, and I don't intend to lose you."

Shion smiled as she replied, "Thank you, Takeshi. And in return, I promise to support you in any way I can. I'm not going to let you fight alone out there."

Takeshi nodded. "I'm glad to hear that, Shion," he commented. "It means a lot."

The two lovers proceeded to embrace each other, lips meeting and tongues intertwining in a passionate kiss.

And on the other side of the door leading into the cafeteria, chaos smiled as he looked in on the happy couple, before moving away towards his station on the bridge.

He was definitely intrigued by Takeshi's story, and wondered what all a Gundam Meister could do.

Little did chaos know, but he was in for quite the experience as he discovered just what Gundam Meisters could do…

* * *

The next day, Shion was helping Takeshi perform routine maintenance on the Tempest while the _Elsa's_ crew looked on.

It was rather interesting, because the hangar's size wouldn't accommodate the full 18.5 meters of the Tempest vertically, which meant that the Tempest was laid out on its backside, with the torso propped up slightly so that its GN Drive didn't gouge a divot into the deck.

Maintenance was rather simple, with Takeshi running the GN Drive in diagnostic mode while Shion monitored the power output to all the systems.

"I tell ya," Matthews remarked, "I've seen a lot of AMWS and AGWS units in my day, but this 'Gundam' is something else. Not even the most advanced AMWS ever looked this… _**human**_."

"That's because it's not an AMWS," Takeshi called out in reply from the cockpit. "The official term for a machine like the Tempest is 'Mobile Suit' or MS for short. The term 'Gundam' is applied to the most powerful of MS."

Shion, curious, asked, "Then what differentiates a Gundam from a regular Mobile Suit?"

"A few things," Takeshi replied. "First, no two Gundams are exactly alike. Some Gundams might look similar to others, but there are always at least minute differences to differentiate them. The same could be said for Mobile Suits, except that each model of regular Mobile Suit is Mass-Produced, meaning that there can be _**armies**_ of regular Mobile Suits. Second, Gundams usually have much greater technology than mass-production MS. And third, not just anyone can pilot a Gundam. Gundam Pilots are usually the best of the best, superior to any other Mobile Suit Pilot out there. There are a few MS Pilots who can match a Gundam Pilot blow-for-blow, but in general the only way Mass-Produced MS can overwhelm a Gundam is through sheer numbers, and even then it's not a sure thing."

"Wow," chaos commented. "Gundams sound really powerful."

"It's been said that Gundams have the power to change destiny itself," Takeshi replied. "I don't know if that's true, but one Gundam can certainly change the course of a battle."

"All systems look good, Takeshi," Shion called from her monitor. "I think we're done for the day."

"Thanks for helping me, Shion," Takeshi replied as he climbed out of the cockpit.

"There is something I'd like to ask though…" Shion began, trailing off.

"What?" Takeshi asked.

"Could you… teach me how to pilot a Mobile Suit?"

Takeshi's eyes widened. "Are you sure, Shion?" he asked.

"I am," she replied. "I want to support you in any way I can, and if I can pilot a Mobile Suit, I can support you directly in the battlefield by fighting at your side."

Takeshi contemplated things for a moment, and then nodded. "Sure, Shion, I can teach you how to pilot a Mobile Suit." He then led her back into the Tempest's cockpit, and helped Shion into the pilot's seat while he got behind it. As they activated the simulator mode, Takeshi commented, "I'm not going to go easy on the training though, Shion."

"That's what I want," Shion replied. "I want to be at my best for when I can make my battlefield debut."

"I'll do my best to get you to that point, then," Takeshi said as the first tutorial simulation began…

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

* * *

**Author's Notes:** **And there's Phase ****0****7****.**

**Takeshi is wowed by Shion's cooking, as is the **_**Elsa's**_** crew, just like in canon. Shion also learns more about Takeshi's home timeline, and is now about to learn how to pilot a Mobile Suit, so she can fight side-by side with Takeshi once the s**t hits the fan.**

**There is a reason for this.**

**Next time, we have a meeting, as Takeshi, Shion, and the Elsa crew meets up with Nanoha, MOMO, and Vivio. We also get to see the Tempest in an actual Mobile Suit Battle, which is going to be so much fun to write.**

**However, it might take a while to get done, what with College, **_**Star Wars The Old Republic**_**, and other matters making demands on my time. It **_**will**_** get done, though, so just be patient.**

**In the meantime, your feedback helps me grow as a writer, so please read and review. No Flames, please. We're in the depths of space, so flames will simply suffocate and die from lack of oxygen.**

**Also, if you haven't already, please go back and check out the additional content I added to Phase 04. :)**

**Later! :D**

**Takeshi Yamato  
Azure Knight of the Raging Tempest**

* * *

**Footnotes:**

**(1) This is similar to Setsuna F. Seiei's Uniform from Season Two of Gundam 00.**


	10. Author's Note - Challenge

**Hello, Everyone! :)**

**I'm sorry to say that this is not the next chapter of MSGX. :(**

**I apologize for the lack of updates on this story, but my inspiration has been lacking as of late.**

**However, I am **_**NOT**_** giving this story up. This is my pet project, one of the crossovers I've always thought of, even if it has developed quite a bit from my original "Insert a single Gundam Pilot into Xenosaga" idea. I **_**WILL**_** get this story done, no matter how long it takes.**

**However, I have another reason for posting this AN.**

**I have a Challenge for you all.**

* * *

My challenge is for a straight-up Xenosaga Fic, albeit a major AU of Xenosaga.

Most of the story will be similar to canon, with one major change: Miyuki Itsumi and Allen Ridgeley switch places.

Here are the rules of this challenge:

1. Miyuki _**must**_ take Allen's place as Junior Chief Engineer for the KOS-MOS Project (and his place at Shion's side throughout the story), while Allen takes Miyuki's old job and role.

2. Despite the switching of roles, Miyuki and Allen keep their canon personalities. This will obviously change the story, as well as the interactions between cast members. Miyuki will also take a more active role in the story than Allen did.

3. The main pairing _**must**_ be Shion/Miyuki. No exceptions. And their relationship should develop into a romance around the time they get to the _Durandal_ (whether the development happens earlier than that or not is up to your discretion).

4. There should be at least one lemon featuring Shion and Miyuki. Additional lemons are up to your discretion, but they should have a decent amount of space between them (one Lemon per Story Arc, or something like that).

* * *

**If you take up this challenge, please let me know, so that I can read the story you come up with.**

**Again, apologies for the lack of MSGX updates, and I promise that I will get it done sooner or later.**

**And I hope that at least one person takes up my challenge.**

**Later! :D**

**Takeshi Yamato  
Azure Knight of the Raging Tempest**


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